Madison Zoning Board Approves Liberty Street Dormer, Delays Harbor Avenue Home Decision

MADISON, CT — The Madison Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a dormer addition to a historic Liberty Street home Tuesday, while postponing a decision on a proposed two-story replacement home on Harbor Avenue amid concerns about building height, floor area and zoning compliance.

The board continued the hearing on the Harbor Avenue application until Dec. 8 to allow the applicant to submit revised plans.

Harbor Avenue Rebuilding Proposal Raises Concerns

The board reviewed an application from Cecilia Shutters to demolish an existing one-story home at 141 Harbor Ave. and replace it with an elevated two-story residence designed to meet current Federal Emergency Management Agency flood standards.

The proposal requires multiple zoning variances, including relief from building coverage, floor area, height, yard setbacks and coastal resource setback requirements.

Gigi Rankin of Madison-based Double B Design LLC said the replacement home would be elevated to meet FEMA standards, with an additional foot of freeboard for flood protection.

Rankin said the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued a favorable letter Nov. 10 finding no adverse impact on coastal resources. The Madison Health Department also approved a septic design for a non-winterized home on Aug. 18.

The project includes a new underground stormwater management system designed to 2024 standards. The property currently has no formal drainage system.

Attorney Jeffrey Beatty of Guilford, representing Shutters, argued that the property's unusually small size and irregular shape justify zoning relief.

Beatty said the 0.07-acre lot is the smallest in the immediate neighborhood and predates local zoning regulations. He cited Connecticut court decisions allowing variances when redevelopment reduces existing zoning nonconformities and improves flood resilience without harming surrounding properties.

Four neighboring property owners submitted letters supporting the project, while the owners of 150 Harbor Ave. expressed concerns about stormwater flooding.

Tony Bolduc of Double B Design said the proposed drainage improvements could provide some relief from flooding associated with rainfall and high tides, although the applicant cannot control those natural conditions.

Bolduc also presented photographs showing other two-story homes in the neighborhood, including a nearby residence elevated to meet FEMA standards.

Shutters and architect Caleb Killian explained that the proposed home would contain two bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and shared living space on a narrow building footprint of approximately 630 square feet.

Board members questioned whether the proposed second story and additional floor area were justified.

Commissioner Steve Bischoff said homeowners should not be penalized for elevating their properties to meet FEMA requirements but questioned the need to add a second floor that would increase the building's height.

Vice Chairman Dylan Stella also challenged the argument that the project would reduce existing zoning nonconformities, suggesting that some proposed changes appeared to make them worse.

The proposed home would contain 1,212 square feet of floor area, exceeding the permitted 1,120 square feet by 92 square feet. It would also reach an average building height of 36.09 feet, compared with the 30-foot maximum, and a total height of 39 feet, compared with the 37.5-foot limit.

Board members distinguished between the elevation needed for flood protection and the additional living space, questioning whether the latter met the legal standards for a variance.

Killian and Beatty said the plans could be revised to reduce the floor area to 1,120 square feet or less, eliminating the need for that particular variance.

At Beatty's request, the board unanimously voted to continue the hearing until Dec. 8.

Board Approves Dormer Addition To Historic Liberty Street Home

In a separate hearing, the board unanimously approved a variance allowing Christine Pape to construct a dormer on the western side of her historic home at 35 Liberty St.

The house, built in 1825, sits close to Liberty Street and the western property boundary. The project required permission to maintain a western side-yard setback of 13.2 feet, where zoning regulations require 20 feet, and to enlarge an existing nonconforming structure.

Attorney Chris McKeon, representing Pape, said relocating or substantially reconfiguring the home would damage original architectural features, including wide-plank wooden floors dating to the building's early history.

McKeon also cited an August 2026 variance approval for a neighboring property at 39 Liberty St. He said adjacent property owners, including the western neighbor, supported Pape's proposal, and no opposition had been submitted.

Pape explained that the existing second-floor layout creates difficulties with bedroom access, low ceilings, sloped rooflines and inadequate emergency escape windows.

She said the renovation would improve the home's functionality while preserving its historic features.

Architect Dylan Parker of Parker Architects presented plans showing how the proposed dormer would provide sufficient height for building-code-compliant emergency egress windows in two upstairs bedrooms.

The dormer would be set back approximately 11 to 12 feet from the historic front facade to minimize changes to the home's appearance from the street. Existing mature trees would screen the western side from neighboring properties.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection indicated that no sensitive coastal resources were present on the property.

Board members agreed that the addition would not extend the building's footprint closer to the western property line and would improve safety without adversely affecting the neighborhood.

Chairman Richard Gilbert moved to approve the application, finding that the requested zoning relief was minimal and that the home's historic character and fixed location created an unusual legal hardship.

The approval requires construction to follow the architectural plans submitted with the application.

The board also determined that the coastal site plan was consistent with the goals and policies of the Connecticut Coastal Management Act.