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Commission debates variance requests for 75 Viking Road, continues review
Summary
A redevelopment plan for 75 Viking Road (Merchant) seeks two variances — removal of an existing house and a 438 sq ft portion of new construction inside the 50-foot coastal-bank buffer — and proposes extensive mitigation; commissioners asked the applicant to explore moving the house farther back and expanded mitigation and continued the matter to Sept. 1, 2026.
Steve McKenna, presenting for Jay and Wendy Merchant, described a raise-and-retreat project for 75 Viking Road that would remove the existing 1960 house and construct a new home set farther back from the coastal bank. McKenna said the proposal includes two variance requests and substantial mitigation: “Removal of 4,882 square feet of lawn, and ornamental plantings from the 50 foot buffer zone and replanting that with a native wildflower mix,” he said, and noted the project reduces structure within the 50-foot buffer from 1,967 sq ft to 438 sq ft.
Commissioners acknowledged the mitigation steps but repeatedly urged the applicant to move the dwelling outside the 50-foot buffer if possible. One commissioner said, “If you moved it back 12 more feet, you could get it out of the 50 foot buffer, eliminate that variance,” and recommended expanding the mitigation meadow and using a low split-rail delineator to protect the new planting. Given remaining questions about pool details, retaining-wall specs, and septic/denitrification options, the commission voted to continue the matter to the Sept. 1, 2026 meeting to allow the applicant time to revise plans.
