Orleans board approves special permit for 14-by-12-foot shed at 21 Little Bay Road

The Orleans Zoning Board approved a special permit on a unanimous roll-call vote to allow a 14-by-12-foot storage shed at 21 Little Bay Road.

The Chair read the application (case 2026‑11) under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A §9 and Orleans zoning bylaw section 164‑21a (Note 5). Ben Under, speaking for the property owners and applicants, said the shed totals about 168 square feet and is incorporated into the landscaping plan; the project has conservation commission approval and meets setback requirements, he said.

"This is a request for a small 12 by 14 shed," Ben Under said, adding that the proposed structure would allow the owners to store surfboards and related items without changing the use of the property. Under said the existing new dwelling was designed at about 3,992 square feet of building coverage and that adding the shed would raise total building coverage to approximately 4,160 square feet, or about 11.8 percent of the lot's upland area (well under the 15 percent cap cited in the bylaw).

Board members asked no substantive questions and no members of the public signaled a desire to comment when the Chair opened the floor. The Chair moved to approve the special permit; the motion was seconded and the board approved the permit by roll call.

The special permit was presented to the board as a dimensional relief request rather than a change of use; the application materials and the representative emphasized that the shed's footprint, height and screening minimize visual and massing impacts. The board noted conservation approval and that the shed sits within the project’s overall landscaping plan.

The board did not attach additional conditions beyond the standard findings; a written decision will be prepared following the meeting.

The board closed the hearing on the special permit and proceeded to other business.