By CHRIS FROST
Eagle Times News Editor
CLAREMONT N.H. — While some homeowners might hope their in-laws live towns away, a Claremont resident, with help from the city’s Zoning Board, could soon have her in-laws as next-door neighbors.
The Zoning Board approved a variance application on Tuesday, Jan. 2, for 356 Old Newport Road. Located in the RR2 district. The zoning rules require each lot to be at least one-acer in size and have 150 feet of road frontage, according to City Planner deForest Bearse.
Aran, David and Mark Lafontaine and Carla Shafer, however, want to subdivide their lot to allow for a home for their in-laws.
“The proposed lot will only have 86 feet of width at the building line and not the 150 feet required by the zoning ordinance,” Bearse said noting the need for a variance.
Aran Lafontaine spoke before the board for her in-laws, who are requesting the lot-width variance to build another house.
“After my in-laws lived in their house for the last 30 years, they chose to move close to us and moved here to Claremont on a 40-acre plot of land,” she said. “The land is somewhat oddly shaped, and the proposed house is to be in the smaller area close to Old Newport Road.”
A shared driveway borders the property line, with a vacant lot to the east.
“The proposed house is going to be located in the middle of the front of the property on Old Newport Road,” Aran said. “Further back from the road, the land dips down at a 19-degree angle to a wooded area with poorly drained soil, making it difficult to access.”
She said the proposed location is the best area to build on and the most accessible for her in-laws as they grow older.
“It follows all zoning regulations except the building lot line,” Aran Lafontaine said.
David said the existing house is further back on a shared driveway.
“That 50 feet is separated, so we have the required frontage for the back lot,” he said. “We only have one house on the piece of land currently, and we’d like to subdivide so they can build their own house.”
According to Bearse, the residual lot will have 50 feet of frontage and the new lot will have 70 feet.
In addition to subdividing the lot, a new driveway will be put in.
“For emergency services, we’re already maxing out the amount of homes on one driveway,” Aran Lafontaine said. “We’re concerned there are one too many buildings off the main road.”
The couple said they will build another driveway for the proposed lot for access, so the existing driveway doesn’t serve three houses.
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