Homeowner seeks variance to place 192‑sq‑ft shed five feet from wetlands at 299 Main Street

Chairman Chris Stafford opened a public hearing April 14 on an application by Matthew Maguire requesting a variance under zoning ordinance article VIII D.1a to permit a skid‑mounted accessory shed at 299 Main Street inside the 75‑foot wetlands buffer.

Maguire told the board the lot’s topography leaves only a lower flat area near the wetlands for the proposed 12‑by‑16 shed (192 square feet) and that the structure would have siding to match the house. He said he planned to store landscaping equipment and might later use part of the building for exercise equipment; the house foundation is 28 by 56 feet, he told the board, and he purchased the property in September 2025.

Board members probed alternatives and risk. Dave Knight, citing contamination concerns, asked how the owner would prevent chemical leaks if the shed were used as a workshop. Maguire described mitigation he would use—placing the shed on concrete blocks with 3/4‑inch stone beneath and a vapor barrier under the floor—and suggested options such as a catch basin or an under‑deck gutter system to minimize runoff. Chairman Stafford said he remained unclear on the applicant’s hardship and asked whether additional plantings or grading changes could mitigate impacts.

An abutter, Kathy Hall, said she did not want the wetlands moved. The board agreed to invite the Conservation commission to inspect the site. Stafford moved, and Brenda Legare seconded, to hold a site walk Monday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m., invite Conservation, and continue the hearing to Tuesday, May 19 at 8:30 p.m.; the motion passed 5‑0.

The board did not make a decision on the variance at the meeting; members said Conservation’s written input and the site visit would inform deliberations and any future conditions or mitigation the board might require.