By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
The Middlebury Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) at its Sept. 3 meeting unanimously voted to accept a variance application for a new gas station on Middlebury Road and set a public hearing for Oct. 1.
If the proposed new station gets all its required approvals, a larger, more attractive facility with five pumps and 10 gas dispensers will replace the Shell station at 520 Middlebury Road and extend across the now-vacant area formerly occupied by Vinnie’s Pizza and Johnny’s Dairy Bar. The project was presented by Attorney Michael McVerry, who is representing Wesson Energy, owner of all the properties.
The variance was needed for a canopy that does not meet the 75-foot minimum setback from the street. McVerry told commissioners the hardship is the depth of property coupled with a required additional buffer from adjacent residential property to the North. He said the 75-foot setback requirement for Routes 63 and 64 is larger than for other CA-40 properties and asked for a 42-foot setback to match other businesses in the area. This would make the new canopy less nonconforming than the current Shell canopy.
The next ZBA meeting was to be Wed. Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.
