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Board grants 2‑foot front‑porch variance so homeowner can accommodate autistic grandchild
Summary
Windsor Locks zoning board granted a 2‑foot variance to extend a homeowner’s front porch to 10 feet, saying the decision will be posted and must be filed in the clerk’s office. The applicant said the larger porch will prevent damage to the house and allow her granddaughter to rock safely.
Windsor Locks zoning officials voted to grant a 2‑foot variance to a homeowner seeking to extend her front porch so a severely autistic granddaughter can rock without damaging the house.
Applicant Diane Allen described her request as a modest extension from an 8‑foot allowable encroachment to 10 feet, saying the larger porch will allow the child to rock safely and spare the home's interior. "That's the purpose of why instead of an 8 foot ... I want it 10 foot out," Allen said during her appearance.
Staff explained the town measures setbacks from the property line, not from the road, and that the ordinance permits an 8‑foot intrusion into the front yard setback. Allen’s property was measured at 35 feet from the property line; the additional two feet required a variance. Staff advised that approved variances must be published in the paper for 15 days and the signed documents filed in the clerk’s office to become legal.
One board member recused herself from the vote due to a personal connection to the applicant. After a motion and second, the board voted in favor of granting the 2‑foot variance. Staff instructed the applicant to coordinate plans with staff and to bring the signed paperwork to the clerk's office once the 15‑day posting period is complete.
The approval allows Allen to proceed with contractor plans, subject to the usual permitting and filing steps.
