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ZBA holds over gate and pier-height requests for Guardhill Road properties; asks applicant to supply night‑time evidence
Summary
The board kept the public hearing open on high gate and pier-height variances for 504 and 524 Guardhill Road after neighbors and preservation advocates raised visual and precedent concerns; the board asked the applicants to provide night‑time photos or other proof that headlights justify an eight‑foot solid fence and to explore less intrusive landscaping alternatives.
The zoning board deferred action on requests related to piers and an automatic gate for two Guardhill Road properties after public skepticism and requests for more evidence.
Staff read the application seeking piers up to ~93.5 inches and gates/ piers substantially above the six-foot limit. An applicant representative said the gate is intended primarily to block headlights from a nearby roadway approach; a neighbor and historic-preservation advocate (Steve Seagal) countered that such tall, largely solid gates are uncommon in Bedford’s historic areas and that the applicant had not provided diagrams showing the necessity of an 8-foot solid panel.
Board members said landscaping, different gate designs, or moving a higher element farther from the front property line could reduce impacts and noted precedent risks if tall, opaque fencing is allowed without strong justification. The board asked the applicant to provide night-time photographs or comparable evidence showing the headlight issue and to demonstrate that other mitigations (plantings, partial screening, relocation farther back on the parcel) are infeasible. The hearing was held open for one month so the applicant can return with supporting material.
