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Board defers contested accessory dwelling unit after neighbors raise septic, size and visibility concerns
Summary
A requested accessory family housing unit on a Beaver Dam District lot drew neighbor opposition about septic capacity, siting and visual character; the board deferred the special‑exception request for 60 days so the applicant can work with staff and neighbors on revisions.
A special‑exception application to allow an accessory family housing unit (ADU) on a roughly 10.7‑acre Beaver Dam parcel prompted extensive public comment and board scrutiny before supervisors agreed to a 60‑day deferral. Neighbors cited concerns about septic capacity, proximity to property lines (30–35 feet), the proposed structure’s appearance (shipping‑container style), and potential future conversion to other uses.
The applicant, Tom Mathely, said the ADU is intended to house an adult son and family and that he has planted screening trees and will remove earlier farm outbuildings; he said the proposed location facilitates gravity‑fed connections to the existing septic and utility lines. Board members asked technical questions about drain‑field capacity and whether a pump or system upgrade would be required, and Vice Chair Stoneman moved—and the board approved—a 60‑day deferral so the applicant could work with staff and neighbors to find a less intrusive siting and to provide required Health Department documentation.
