Found out my town's zoning board meets twice a year, not monthly

Went to check on a variance for my backyard shed last Tuesday. Got told the next meeting is in August. That's five months away. I called the town clerk and she said they only meet in January and August. Ten people decide everything for 3,000 residents. Has anyone else found hidden meeting schedules like this in their town?

3 comments

3 Comments

angelarivera1mo ago

You're calling that "hidden" but ten people meeting twice a year sounds way better than most towns I've seen. Around here, the zoning board meets monthly and every single meeting gets bogged down by some guy arguing about his fence height or a neighbor complaining about a shed being three inches too close to the property line. Two meetings a year means those ten people actually get stuff done fast without all the petty drama. You'd probably get that variance approved in August with zero hassle. Meanwhile, monthly boards end up with six months of continuations anyway.

max2231mo ago

Angela's got it exactly right. Those monthly meetings are a nightmare.

nancyjones1mo ago

Right, because nothing says "efficient government" like a guy showing up in August with a fresh haircut and a spreadsheet about his shed, only to find out the board already approved it in the dark three months ago. I bet those ten people have to bring their own snacks to the meetings just to keep things moving. Meanwhile, our guy with the fence is probably still arguing about the paint color from last June's meeting. Who actually wins here, the guy who gets his variance in a week or the guy who gets to relive his property line drama for six straight months?