Weston ZBA Clears Black Oak Road Retaining Wall, No Variance Required

WESTON -- November 7, 2023, Weston's Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously twice at its November 7 meeting, clearing a retaining wall dispute and extending a fire department tower variance. Chair Jane Fisher Carlson and members Wendy Kaplan Amour and Tristan Colangelo found no variance necessary for tiered stone retaining walls at 89 Black Oak Road, accepting Building Inspector John Field's determination that segmental block walls not mechanically attached to the foundation are not regulated structures subject to the 45-foot setback. Homeowner Ernst Schleimer had argued the walls, built to provide basement egress amid extensive ledge, were freestanding; he had also cited a $16,000 removal cost, though the board noted financial hardship does not qualify under ZBA standards. In a separate 3-0 vote, the board granted a six-month extension, the maximum allowed under Chapter 40A, Section 10, to a variance held by the Weston Fire Department for a communications tower at 150 Highland Street, with Fire Chief Justin Woodside citing uncertainty over a nearby water tank project whose fate could hinge on a May Town Meeting vote.