By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Dec. 3 informally discussed construction of a second house on a Bristol Road lot. It also set the meeting schedule for 2016 and heard a progress report on illegal sign removal.
Chairman Terry Smith told Mitchell Quain, owner of a house on 1 Bristol Road, that zoning regulations were unclear about constructing a second house on a residential lot. He said one section restricted the number of buildings to one and another permitted multiple structures. Quain said he wanted the second house to provide sleeping accommodations for his extended family during holiday gatherings and had received letters of approval from adjacent property owners. Smith instructed Quain to withdraw his application until a legal opinion had been obtained and agreed to keep the letters of approval on file.
In enforcement matters, Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis Bosco said on Dec. 1 he removed 37 illegal telephone pole signs by using an ice scraper. He said the signs frequently are replaced soon after he removes them, and remarked the posters must be using extension ladders to make removal more difficult, sometimes screwing them in. Bosco said he was usually lenient with signs for non-profit local events.
In procedural matters, commissioners unanimously voted to keep the monthly meeting schedule unchanged. It currently meets the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.
The next regular P&Z meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.
