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Huron planning board flags need to clarify shed definition, size and setback rules
Summary
Town staff told the planning board that local practice treats a 'shed' as 100 sq ft or less and allows accessory sheds as close as 5 ft to property lines and 10 ft from rights-of-way; board members said clearer local definitions are needed to avoid confusion with larger structures.
The Town of Huron Planning Board signaled on Sept. 3 that it will pursue clearer local rules distinguishing small sheds from larger storage buildings after staff described the town's current thresholds.
"The definition for a shed is 100 sq ft or less," staff member Roger Gallant told the board, and he explained that under current practice sheds may be placed 5 feet from property lines and 10 feet from public rights-of-way. Gallant cautioned that language is inconsistent across jurisdictions and that a more precise local definition is needed to distinguish sheds from pole barns, garages and horse barns.
Chairman Alexandra Welsh and other board members discussed the practical problems of enforcement and of residents placing exempt structures in front yards if the rules are unclear. The board did not adopt a new rule at the meeting but identified the definition and setback language as items for further drafting and review by staff.
