01.21.20 MEETING MINUTES - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes of the Regular Meeting of Council Tuesday, January 21, 2020 Page 13 When the weather started to get bad, I stopped working on this project with the walls in place; the enclosure went through the winter of 2017/2018 with three sides up. In the Spring of 2018, I made the decision to weatherize this structure as the drifting snow was filling it up and making it difficult to function properly. I exercised the approved option on my drawing. Just a note here - This is an enclosed fence with specific dimensions for plastic garbage cans, recycle cans and grass cutting cans, etc. It was and is not designed to be walked into. The inside usable dimensions equal 32" x 7'8" side to side x 2 (15'4" long) and the header height above the doors is 5'6" from ground so you are really not going to be able to go in there without knocking your head. It's not meant for that. None of these dimensions would be standard for a modern day shed. The permit was issued for an enclosed fence and that is what it is. The enclosure was permitted for the exact spot where it presently exists, per the plot plan. Early in November of last year 2019, Tony Carbone, the Building Inspector left a courtesy warning notice taped to our front door (copy attached). This notice was x -marked concerning our subject enclosure with this comment; "garbage can fence enclosure (Westside) not per plans". A little over two years after the permit was issued, we are still calling this a fence enclosure, which it is. So, they were still calling it a fence enclosure at that time. I immediately went and spoke with John Marrelli at his office when I got the notice. The issue was then explained to me as a design problem and I was given the option of removing the roof and doors or moving the enclosure somewhere else on the lot. We talked and we both had different thoughts about what the note said on the drawing. He said I could appeal to the zoning commission. I said OK and he gave me some papers at that point. As the deadline approached for the December 17th zoning board meeting, I lost my will to argue and because of personal problems at home decided against going through with the appeal. When I told John and Debbie I was unable to put everything together in time for the meeting and would withdraw my request, they both encouraged me to hang in and Debbie said she would help me by putting the packages together. Thank you, Debbie. John also encouraged me by telling me; He "could see from my perspective about how the fence enclosure became fully enclosed" (paraphrased) and would be willing to express the same at the zoning meeting. That's what I heard. He said he was not against me. I heard that as well. All of this with John and Debbie took place face-to-face in the hallway of this building here downstairs by John's office on approximately December 12th or 13th 2019. I do not recall hearing this declaration of support while attending the zoning board meeting on December 171H A strange thing took place at that December 17" meeting. Though not unaware of the written change from design problem to zoning setback problem, I felt confident that with John's support and with the note clearly on the drawing concerning weatherizing the enclosure I would get the approval I was expecting. But, the whole narrative had changed and now the problem was a setback issue. I do not have a setback issue and I hope you can clear this issue for the records. It's a big issue.