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Residents urge caution as board weighs setback changes and neighborhood character
Summary
During public comment, residents urged the Planning & Zoning Board to preserve setbacks and privacy, warning that reduced rear setbacks for pergolas and gazebos could lead to visual intrusion, noise and maintenance issues along the canals.
Residents used the public-comment portion and the accessory-structure agenda item to emphasize privacy and the town’s character as reasons to resist loosening setback rules.
Terry Brown and others said the town should study the size, style, height, materials and ventilation of any permitted accessory structures and consider limits so waterfront views are not replaced by a line of gazebos. Christine Dehassa asked the board to identify the threshold for complaints or requests that justify changing the code, calling it premature to "solve for a problem that we do not have." Betty Bingham said setbacks exist for a reason and urged commissioners to "think hard" before changing them to preserve a small-town feel.
Commenters recommended that open, lightweight structures be treated differently from closed, hard-covered gazebos and suggested a narrow allowance — such as modest 10-by-10 pergolas or 100-square-foot limits — if changes are made. The board heard consistent concerns about maintenance and enforcement, with residents asking that any change include clear definitions and limits.
