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Annual Report 2007-2008(color).pub - Town of South Windsor

Annual Report 2007-2008(color).pub - Town of South Windsor

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Zoning Board <strong>of</strong> Appeals<br />

Thomas Berstene<br />

Chairperson<br />

Established in 1938, the Zoning Board <strong>of</strong><br />

Appeals:<br />

1. Hears and decides request for variances<br />

where strict application <strong>of</strong> the zoning<br />

regulations result in exceptional difficulty<br />

or unusual hardship, and<br />

2. Hears and decides appeals from any<br />

decision, order or requirement issued by<br />

the Zoning Enforcement Officer.<br />

Variances can be granted only when “exceptional<br />

difficulty or unusual hardship” is shown by<br />

applying the zoning regulation to a specific parcel<br />

<strong>of</strong> land.<br />

The number <strong>of</strong> applications to the ZBA has<br />

decreased dramatically since the Planning and<br />

Zoning Commission revised the regulations. The<br />

ZBA has also worked with the P&Z in identifying<br />

repeat variance requests. These requests were<br />

considered in the P&Z regulations revision which<br />

contributed to the decreased workload.<br />

This year the Board granted three variances to<br />

industrial/commercial/institutional developments.<br />

These variances consisted <strong>of</strong> one variance for an<br />

expansion and two sign variances to increase<br />

sign height. Twelve variances were granted for<br />

residential properties which included four<br />

variances for expansions and eight variances for<br />

residential outbuildings and structures. Two<br />

variances were denied. There was one appeal to<br />

the Zoning Enforcement Officer’s decision<br />

alleging two violations. One appeal was for an <strong>of</strong>f<br />

premise sign and it was approved and overturned<br />

and one appeal alleging a mobile billboard sign in<br />

violation <strong>of</strong> the zoning regulations was denied<br />

and upheld.<br />

The Zoning Board <strong>of</strong> Appeals hearings are held<br />

at the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Windsor</strong> <strong>Town</strong> Hall generally on the<br />

first Thursday <strong>of</strong> the month in the Madden Room<br />

beginning at 7:30 p.m. The <strong>pub</strong>lic is always<br />

welcome to attend. Applications are available in<br />

the Planning Department at the <strong>Town</strong> Hall.<br />

Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Commission<br />

Elizabeth Warren<br />

Chairperson<br />

The Commission was appointed by the <strong>Town</strong><br />

Council in 1987 to aid in the preservation <strong>of</strong><br />

farmland and open space and to <strong>of</strong>fer support to<br />

the agricultural community. The Advisory<br />

Commission is comprised <strong>of</strong> representatives<br />

from a broad spectrum <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

community including farmers, local business<br />

people, realtors, town staff, and land use<br />

commissioners.<br />

SWALPAC helped formulate and bring to<br />

referendum the Open Space Funding in 1987<br />

and 1996. Several properties have been<br />

purchased with those funds: the Sluzkanis<br />

Property (Nevers Road Park), the Barton<br />

Property (Rye Street), Priest Farm (Sullivan<br />

Avenue), the Willard-Waldron-Kelley Property<br />

(Wapping Park), the Mitchell Property (Sullivan<br />

Avenue and West Road), and a portion <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Foster Farm property.<br />

The Commission continues to evaluate and<br />

comment on open space properties for possible<br />

purchase by the <strong>Town</strong>.<br />

54 | <strong>Town</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Windsor</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> <strong>2007</strong>/<strong>2008</strong>

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