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Old Saybrook board approves patio and outdoor kitchen at 502 Main Street, citing net reduction in coverage
Summary
The Old Saybrook zoning board approved a variance for 502 Main Street to replace a rear deck and jacuzzi with an at‑grade patio and an outdoor masonry kitchen, saying the plan reduces total structure coverage by about 800 square feet and moves features farther from tidal wetlands and the Connecticut River Gateway buffer.
The Old Saybrook Zoning/Planning Board on July 8 approved a variance for property at 502 Main Street (agenda item 26Slash27Dash2C) allowing removal of an elevated deck and installation of an at‑grade patio, an outdoor masonry kitchen and an above‑ground spa. The board framed its approval around the application’s net reduction of nonconforming coverage and the proposal to pull structures farther from tidal wetlands and the Connecticut River Gateway conservation zone.
Raymond Malinowski, the applicant representative, told the board the existing deck and spa sit closer to tidal wetlands and that the proposed patio would be lower and pulled back. "We are reducing that number by about, over 800 square feet," Malinowski said, noting the reduction brings the property closer to structural coverage conformity. He said the project team submitted a coastal site plan/CAM application to the state and had consulted the local health department for plumbing/septic questions.
Gateway and staff weighed in on definitions and technical treatment. A Gateway representative for the record (Joe Ryan) said Gateway does not oppose the variance and welcomed the reduction in nonconformity while flagging that a masonry outdoor kitchen could be considered a 'structure' under zoning code definitions if it functions as a wall; the board and staff said they would interpret the code and review the issue with Gateway and state reviewers where necessary.
Motion and outcome: the board moved to approve the application based on reduced nonconformity and lower coverage, citing the CAM submission and health department review; the motion carried on a voice vote and the application was approved as presented with the understood requirement that state CAM and health‑department approvals proceed as required.
What happens next: staff will confirm CAM/state review outcomes and note any required code interpretations about the outdoor kitchen's structural status when issuing the final decision.
