WILTON – Planners granted Anastasia Henderson permission Thursday to house one full-grown horse and one miniature horse in a converted garage on the Weld Road. Henderson currently has two miniature goats there.
Code Enforcement Officer Katherine Shoaps said the issue came before planners because of the combination of animals. Under the town’s ordinance, an individual can have two full-grown horses or some combination of smaller animals, at planners’ discretion, on a one-acre lot. Henderson and Robert Begin have been renovating a garage to house the animals. They have built a total of five stalls in the 22- by 24-foot building.
Shoaps said she has received several comments from the public expressing concerns about the disposal of waste from the animals. Planners granted the permit with the conditions that fences be erected, all manure be removed within six months, and that no additional animals be added. If something happens to one of the animals, they must replace it with the same type and size of animal or return to the board for approval.
Neighbor Paula Nielsen told the board she is concerned about a large amount of metal she says is buried in the ground there. “I can’t imagine keeping animals there. I think if someone came in with a metal detector they would be shocked,” Nielsen said. She said a large amount of junk has been on the property for years.
But Shoaps said she has visited the property several times and inspected items that were hauled out. She said she did see some small pieces of metal and pulled them out of the ground.
Planners said it is not within their power to enforce rules in that area. Chairman Keith Swett said that as long as the couple meets ordinance requirements, the board must grant the permit.
Nielsen also said the animals make noise at night, and there is a bothersome smell in the area. Swett said there is a nuisance law, and that issue would need to be taken up with Shoaps. The property is in a residential area.
Officials also granted a use permit to Gill Reed of Nichols Custom Welding to move a U-Haul distributorship to his new business at the old Bass Distribution Center on Weld Street.
At their last meeting, planners approved an application for Reed to move his welding manufacturing business from Farmington to the Weld Road building. Reed plans to bring other businesses to the building as well.
Planners will ask for a tour of the building. They granted the use permit on the condition that Reed bring them a parking plan. Reed was unable to attend the meeting due to a family emergency.
Planners also granted permits to Aland Renee Levesque to build a 10- by 20-foot storage building in a commercial zone on Jay Street, and to John Johnson to move his nighttime taxi service from Livermore Falls to Wilton.
Under old business, planners said they cannot grant a variance for Tracy Hollingdale to split her land, creating a nonconforming lot. Hollingdale purchased a lot with an existing small house adjacent to her original property. She asked to be able to split the new lot, possibly sell it, and retain the rest of the property.
Real estate developer Colon Durrell said he will talk to property owner Timothy Thompson of Massachusetts before deciding the next step in a proposal to create a three-lot subdivision on Walker Hill Road. Swett said a mistake was made in the town ordinance that essentially states there are no minor subdivisions in Wilton.
Since the subdivision would be considered major, it would require that a road be built to all three lots. He said planners could still go through the process, and the owner may then be able to bring the issue before the appeals board.
A town vote will be required to change the mistake in the ordinance, something Swett said planners intend to bring before voters at their annual town meeting next June.
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