Somerset Zoning Board of Appeals - July 23, 2026

This is a meeting of the Somerset Zoning Board of Appeals. This meeting is held pursuant to match general law 48 in the Somerset Zoning By -law. This meeting is being televised live on SATV channel 96 and you or YouTube and the recording is available at SATV and YouTube after after the meeting is done so the format is we'll read off the application then we'll

have the applicant come up to you have to come up here because when they televise you have to speak from the podium we'll ask you questions about the application and then we'll open it to whoever's here if they have a comment for or against it then we'll close it and the board will either make a decision or have a comment for or against it then we'll close it and then we'll either

make a decision continue it or or whatever action we have to take so the three board members will be mike martin bernie miranda and myself so okay first uh application craig brown 24 knap street summits and match assessment b6 lot 138 petition for a special permit from section 7.8 of the summitset zoning bylaws permit the use of an in -home occupation for administrative work associated with

a real estate business within the residential district is mr. Brown here if you could if you could please come up thank you

hi everyone hi if you could just kind of describe what you want to do and then the next thing with because the custom home occupation you filled out this form we just read these nine questions off and just have you answer them here just so they We just read these nine questions off and just have you answer them here, just so they're ready for the record. Yeah, so basically, I'll

be working from home, answering emails, phone calls, client stuff, and just basically just doing paperwork. That's it. But I still need my own business license. Right. Okay. Yeah, that's what... All these are all the same. Right.

Okay, so we'll just read these. No more than three people engaged in the activity.

Aging the activity, it's just going to be yourself. It's just going to be yourselves.

It's just me. Business conducted entirely within the principal dwelling. Yes. That's what you just said. No exterior features, not customary in buildings for residential use. No. The use of the dwelling shall remain incidental slash subordinate to the residential use by its occupants, and not more than 25 % of the floor of the dwelling shall be used in

the conduct of the home occupation. Yes, correct. So you're just going to use a portion of a room? It's just literally the table, you know, a desk, a chair, that's it. okay. That's it, okay. No change in the outside of here. No change in the outside appearance of the building or premises or other visible evidence of the contents of such home occupation other than signs permitted under by -law subsection 6.5

.1. Do you plan on having a sign? No. sign. No sale of merchandise other than that produced on the premises, but you're not going to produce any merchandise. No traffic shall be generated by such home occupation. Greater volumes than normally expected in a residential neighborhood and any need for parking generated by such home occupation Parking generated by

such home occupations shall be met off -street and not in the required front yard.

shall be met off -street and not in a row. Yes, correct. Are you going to have people come to your house? No. equipment or process shall be used in the home occupations to face noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors, or electric interference detectable if no one's sense of a lie. You're not going to have that. And then not more than one commercial vehicle used in connection with such home occupations shall be stored

in the premises and off -street parking space shall be provided in the store vehicle.

Are you going to have a commercial vehicle? No, no, just my car. oh no just just my car okay so just basically you just need this for home Okay.

So just basically, you just need this file. office that's it and that's it any questions no no anyone questions or comments about this closes the floor make the motion we accept it second you're not around I Mike Martin I Steve Katter at I so it takes about a week for the decision to be final okay then there's a 20 -day appeal period and after the appeal period you

can file a decision in the registry of deeds okay okay good You can file a decision in the registry of deeds. Okay. Good luck. Thank you. Good luck. Thank you, Amy. luck On next, Jason Ledoux of 31 Riley Ave. Summits and Matt's assesses the map E5, lot 72.

Petition for a special permit from section 7.6 of the zoning bylaws to permit the use of an in -home occupation for administrative work associated with a handyman business within the residential district. Is Mr. Ledoux here?

I don't, but I can get you that. How much was it? Because he doesn't have the same name. You can ask him that.

you could just describe what you want to do. I'll just piggyback off him. Just to piggyback off him, it's just mainly a handyman business off -site, just property maintenance.

It's just mainly a handyman business off -site. So I have nothing on -premise that I'm having all those questions pretty much sums it up. It's pretty much just office work, invoices, estimates, pretty much on my phone.

Okay. Okay. We'll just read the questions. Yeah, yeah, no problem. That's what we do.

Sorry. Yep. No more than three people, it's just going to be you? Just me.

okay business conducted entirely within principal dwelling so yes it's going to be like Okay.

Business conducted entirely within principal dwelling. office use yep no exterior features not customary building for residential use no use of the dwelling to remain incidental subordinate for the residential use by its occupants and not more than 25 percent of the floor area of the dwelling shall be used in the condoms of the home occupation just going to use a real small area yep my

couch because i'll be doing all the uh in the invoices all on my phone so it's not taking up any space no change in the outside appearance of the buildings you're not gonna have a sign nope no okay you're not gonna sell any merchandise is anybody gonna come to your house no no so there's no traffic nope you're not gonna have any equipment that would produce noise vibration nope and are you

gonna have a commercial vehicle no my own okay and then just a question so the owner is Judith, so she's aware that you're filing this? Yes. Okay. She's my mother -in -law. She has an in -law set up on our house, so, yeah. Oh, all right. Yeah. It satisfies that. Yeah. The first thing we've got to correct is question two. It should only be within the principal dwelling. Oh it

is correct. Is it corrected in the new forms? Okay great. Okay. Any questions?

No. No. Anyone? Any questions or comments? Close it. I'll make a motion that we approve the petition as bid. Second. Mike Martin aye. Bernard, Miranda aye.

Steve Kattern aye. So about a week to the decision and the 20 day appeal period then you can file on the registry of deeds. Okay. Okay. Good. Thank you.

Good luck. Oh, it is correct. Is it corrected in the new forms? all right yeah and then I'll just actually can stop by tomorrow for that All right. Yeah and then I'll just uh I'm actually gonna stop by tomorrow for that. for the check yeah thank you thanks good luck you're welcome who's Cabral of 2835 County Street census map e5 lot 249 petition for a

special perimeter from section 7.6 of the summit said zoning bylaws with the use of an in -home occupation for the storage of equipment associated with a The landscaping business within the business district, if you could come up here. landscaping business within the business district if you come up in Just explain to us what you want to do. I'm just going to run a little small business, small trailer, my personal

pickup truck. Nothing done on premises, all off premises.

Okay. So just explain the equipment storage. Everything is stored on my trailer, small 6.5 by 10 trailer. It's all stored on the trailer, covered with a tarp. well covered with a tarp it's a trailer that's been there for the past 20 something years okay what's the zoning where you wait where I got some aguaros yeah it's going to be that's own business in the

application I gave you an aerial view and a front view yeah yeah I know yeah so this is own business

It's a residential home in the business area, in the business district, okay.

Yeah, he's not looking to operate up. Yeah, he's not looking to operate a stand -alone business. He wants to operate it in his residence, so yeah, technically he should get the special permit. Okay. I'm just curious, because this is not the usual. Especially in a business. I don't know if I ever remember one coming in a residence that happens, you know, it's a non -conforming,

right? It did. One of them came on County Street. It was the guy with the Oriental, the noodles, the chiamine noodles. The noodles, the chameleon noodles, his property was half zoned business, half zoned residential. Okay. Yeah, but all of your property is zoned business, right? Very much.

Okay, I'm just going to read out the questions and then no one, three people engagement, just you. Just myself. Okay. the business conducted, you're going to store this in the driveway. The business is conducted. You're going to store this in the driveway of your residence? Okay. No exterior features, not customary in buildings for residence

for use. Not changing anything. The area, you're actually not going to use any area inside the principal dwelling, right? No. Just stores the trails in the driveway. I use my lawnmower to cut my own yard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Other than that, no. change in the outside appearance of the building. Do you have a sign? If you're into the building, do you have a sign? No. You're not going to sell any merchandise?

Nope, no merchandise being sold there. Nobody's coming to your house, you're not going to generate any traffic? You don't have any equipment that generates noise, vibration, glare, it's just stored on the trailer and you're going to use it elsewhere? Yes. And is this a commercial vehicle? No, it's my own personal vehicle, it's not commercial. Okay.

I'm fine with it too. Okay, we'll open up anybody with questions or comments. All right, seeing we don't have any. I make a motion to approve the application. Second. Duna Miranda, aye. Michael Mann, aye. Steve Katterin, aye. So seven days that we have written the decision, there's a 20 -day appeal period, then you file the decision in the registry of needs. Okay. thank you thank you good luck look I

don't remember one I don't remember Thank you. Good luck. I want you to know when it's ready, okay?

usually if it's business it's own business I don't know Rose Scott of 263 Mass Ave assesses map D8 lot 372 petition for a special permit have assesses map d8 lot 372 petition for a special permit from section 7.6 of the summit's zoning bylaws will permit the use of an in -home occupation for independent nursing administrative work within the business district

and uh thank you for letting us in the door otherwise we'll be standing outside so if you can just explain what you want to do well i'm uh i'm an independent nurse and what i would be could just explain what you want to do well i'm uh i'm an independent doing um would be doing mostly paperwork that you know that i have to uh type up i have my computer i won't have any patients

no patients at the home okay and there would be no um type of uh no type of what we call traffic I don't have to have a sign okay okay so I'll just read those no type of what we call traffic i don't have to

questions in everything it's just going to be you involved yes and you're gonna do everything inside of the house the yeah the administrative right I go to patients home okay Administrative part. But I go to patients' homes. Okay. Then there aren't going to be any exterior features. You're not changing outside of your house for this.

The way you're going to do the administrative work in the house is less than 25 % of the floor area of the house. So just like one room you're going to use to do some work. Yes, I'm using one room for that purpose.

Okay. You already said you don't want to sign. You're not going to sell any merchandise. no you're not going to be in traffic because you explained to us that there's no nobody's coming to the house so there's going to be no traffic you don't have any equipment that's going to cause noise vibration glare at the property line and then you don't have a commercial vehicle correct that's correct i do

okay but no this is pretty straightforward okay i'll make a motion to approve the petition so I'm make a motion to approve the petition second McMahon and I hang on yeah my name is Joe Nichols if you could just come up just the name and address please my name is Joe Nichols I live at 174 Vermont Avenue about 300 feet from the subject property on a different street and I'm upland

of that particular property. The reason I'm here is not specifically related to the occupancy of the use, but on the west side of that property there's a floodlight, and that floodlight lights up my house at night all night long when the light's on. I don't know whether a condition or an approval can be. had, a stipulation concerning a shield or something on that floodlight so that my

rooms aren't lit up, including my hallway, all night long. That's the only issue I have. So that's not really associated with a customary home occupation?

I realize that. I don't think that we can give you any relief. Because I got a notice of it, that was my reason for wanting to express an opinion.

I think you'd have to go to the zoning office and he'd have to go down to take a look at it. Yeah. You'd have to go and talk to Mr. Aguiar. The building inspector. So he's the zoning enforcement official? Right. So have you spoken to him? I have not spoken to anyone about this as an issue. It just seemed like when I saw this notice, it was an opportunity to express an

opinion. understood yeah can i ask the lady a question yeah oh yeah yeah would you be Understood. Yeah. willing to do something with that light where it doesn't shine on his house i wasn't aware that it was on all night it i had them to to have it set so that when i drive up you know drive up and then i uh at night it comes on

but then it goes off in about five about three or five minutes, I thought it goes off, I wasn't aware that it was going on. It must be aimed up, because I'm uphill from this particular property, and I have to assume if it's emotion sensitive, it comes on and off a lot, which is what caught my attention, because it not only hits the room, but it hits the hallway that's extended beyond

that. Would you be willing to tone it to bring it down a little bit, where it just shines on your driveway? yeah you can put some kind of shielding maybe on the light right yeah yeah so it doesn't go in that in that direction you know you can just bring it down so it shines right on the driveway yeah if you could try to do something with that absolutely help them i

appreciate it thank you very much yeah maybe the two of you can trade some trade information yeah that's yeah have a dialogue i don't know anything about what it is that would block that but i just know that yeah i tried to do it with landscape But I just know that it, I tried to do it with landscaping at my place and it didn't happen. Yeah, just take the light

yeah okay thank you for being with that if you could work together So it's a motion sensor. Yeah. I'm trying to work that out thank you thank you I can leave you my information thank you very much thank you thank you thank you thank you so I made a motion motion I made a motion I second it like nine nine and I Steve Chatterin I so it takes about a week for the decision to

be finalized then there's a 20 -day appeal period then after the 20 -day appeal here you file the motion with the registry the decision with the registry deeds okay thank you thank you thank you good luck with this yes good luck

okay next Matthew Vods of 105 Harrison I have some of them matches Matthew Vods of 105 Harrison Ave, Somerset Match, Assessor Map C1, Lot 92, petition for a variance on the dimensional setback requirements of the Somerset Zoning Bylaws and permit the construction of a detached accessory dwelling unit within the required side and rear yard setbacks in the

residential district. We have a correspondence address to the summit dated July 23rd, 2026, addressed to the Somerset Zoning Board of Appeals regarding request to withdraw a variance application without prejudice. Dear members of the Somerset, I am writing to respectfully request that the Zoning Board of Appeals accept the withdrawal without prejudice of my

application for a variance concerning the property located at 105 Harrison Avenue. At this time, I have decided not to proceed with the application as submitted and respectfully request that the Board allow its withdrawal without prejudice. I understand that this request of granted will terminate the current application without a decision on the merits and will preserve the ability

to submit a future application should serve. should circumstances warrant thank you for your time and consideration of this request I appreciate the board's attention to this matter applicants property owners Matthew Bob's and Captain Parker Schick okay so we just need to make a motion to would allow them to withdraw this application I make a motion along through the drill the application set up without prejudice

Mike Mahanai, Steve Kateradai. It's all set. And then, DDO, New England, LLC, doing business as Taco Bell, 79 North Main Street, Mansfield, Mass. Assessors' map, A9, live, 226, petition for a planned development under section 6.10 of the Summarset's Owning Bylaws to allow for the construction of a quick -serve fast -food restaurant, along with associated site improvements such as parking, stormwater utilities

within the business district. in the business district the applicant has requested that this be continued to The applicant has requested that this be continued through the order. the August meeting due to plan review by a third party so we just need to approve this to be continued to the August meeting 27th I make a motion that we continue this to August 27th second Mike Martin aye Steve Katterin I

do we have any co -responses or invoices? No. Do we have minutes? No, right?

Okay. Then we need a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. Second. Benon, Miranda, aye.

Mike Martin, aye. Steve Katterin, aye.