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ZBA approves reduced barn and pergola variance after applicant shrinks footprint and agrees conditions
Summary
The board approved Sean Rooney’s variance for a large barn and pergola at 245 Babcock Road after the applicant reduced the building footprint and agreed to conditions including landscape screening, submission of an as-built survey and limits on finishing or residential use of the structure.
The Town of Bedford Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance allowing a large accessory structure and pergola at 245 Babcock Road with conditions designed to limit visual and use impacts.
The board’s notice recited the requested relief for building and impervious coverage and multiple setback variances. Sean Rooney explained he reduced the barn from 40x70 feet to 65x35 feet (about 2,275 sq ft), lowered the roof height and increased setbacks from property lines. He also said several existing sheds would be removed and some gravel replaced with grass to increase permeability. Board members asked for an updated site plan and zoning-table calculations; the applicant provided revised drawings and emailed copies to the board.
The board moved to approve the variance and attached conditions: the applicant must obtain a building permit within one year, submit a certified as-built survey with building and impervious-coverage calculations before certificate of occupancy, install at least five arborvitae (3–4 ft height) roughly 10 ft apart to screen the neighbor, and maintain the attic/storage area as nonhabitable storage. The board also prohibited using the structure as a residential dwelling and required returning to the board for any change in use or material alterations.
The board closed the public hearing and recorded the approval with members voting in favor.
The approval balances the applicant’s stated storage needs with neighbor concerns about scale and visual impact by adding screening and use restrictions.
