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Jefferson Select Board approves building permits; ADU application withdrawn over LUO limits
Summary
The Town of Jefferson Select Board on Sept. 2 approved a slate of building and short‑term rental permits while a request for a second accessory dwelling unit was withdrawn after town staff and counsel determined it conflicted with the town Land Use Ordinance and a state ADU law.
The Town of Jefferson Select Board on Sept. 2 approved a series of building permits, including a 26-by-36-foot single-family home, a 14-by-30-foot inground pool, multiple barns and accessory structures, and a short‑term rental permit.
Selectman Norman Brown moved to approve the permits; Selectman Terri Laramb seconded and the motions passed unanimously. Select Board Chair Kevin Meehan, Brown and Laramb were among those recorded as present during votes.
The most contested permitting item involved applicant Richard Garabedian, who asked to construct a new single‑family home and also applied for a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) above a garage. Garabedian told the board that concrete work had already been poured for the house; he said an earlier plan to route construction traffic using a loader to avoid the 12‑ton Chambers Bridge had failed and the cement truck traversed the bridge. Highway Foreman Mike Kenison inspected the bridge and reported no visible damage. The board approved Garabedian’s building permit with a condition prohibiting construction traffic that would exceed the bridge’s 12‑ton limit.
Garabedian also sought permission for a detached ADU. Amanda Simino, administrative assistant to the Select Board, said she had discussed the matter with town counsel and explained that because an apartment already exists on the property the lot would be considered multifamily under the town Land Use Ordinance (LUO), which would bar a second ADU. Simino said state ADU rules effective July 1, 2025 allow detached ADUs under certain conditions (owner occupancy and square‑footage limits), but the town’s LUO limits ADU size to 900 sq. ft. and the existing on‑site unit made a second ADU ineligible. Garabedian withdrew the ADU application rather than have the board deny it.
Other permits approved included a 40-by-40 barn for Swiss Country LLC (188 Bailey Rd.), a 32-by-32 two‑story home for Hunter McKearney (1017 Owls Head Hwy.), a 399‑square‑foot park model mobile home for Eric Nelson (117 Enman Dr.), a 20-by-20 roofed carport for Pearl’s Paradise LLC (289 North Rd.), and a short‑term rental permit for Alfred and Kimberly Raphael (139 Stag Hollow Rd.).
The board also reviewed and initialed routine financial paperwork and agreed to follow up on any unresolved infrastructure issues identified during permitting. The meeting entered nonpublic session at 8:30 p.m. and returned to public session at 9:07 p.m.; the board adjourned at 9:08 p.m.
The board scheduled its next meeting for Sept. 15, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
