Weston ZBA Unanimously Approves Accessory Apartment and Generator Permits

WESTON — November 21, 2022 — Weston ZBA approves accessory apartment with family-only restriction, clears generator permit. The three-member Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3-0 on both items at its November 21 meeting, chaired by Jane Fisher-Carlson and joined by members Alan Rose and Steve LaRock. The accessory apartment at 33 Lantern Lane, sought by Changhai Li, had previously been withdrawn pending inspection of unpermitted basement work; Building Inspector John Field confirmed all electrical, plumbing, gas, and building work had been completed and approved, though permit fees were doubled. Neighbor Carolyn Ross of 34 Lantern Lane pushed back, saying renting to unrelated tenants would effectively create a two-family dwelling in a single-family neighborhood — "the slippery slope," she called it. The board approved the permit with a condition barring rental to non-family members. The board also unanimously granted a special permit to John Huston of 22 Conant Road to install a whole-house standby generator 23 feet from the lot line, declining to require sound baffling given that the nearest dwelling is approximately 140 to 150 feet away.