Dollar Store Proposed
Across from Hospital
By Sandy Vondrasek Cooch

The Randolph Development Review Board has been fielding a remarkable number of requests for variances of late, and board members will review yet another August 21, when they consider James Sault’s application for a 9100-square-foot "dollar/general store" at 53 South Main Street.

Sault and Flat Rock Partners, LLC are seeking a variance from the minimum front-yard setback for the property, in the civic-tourist district.

Should the DRB grant that variance, the proposed retail store and parking lot with 33 spaces would then need conditional use and site plan review and approval.

Zoning Administrator Mardee Sanchez noted that Sault previously received sub-division approval to create this new lot on South Main. His application indicates that this retail store project would require considerable site work, including construction of a retaining wall. The parcel is across the street from the Gifford thrift shop.

Also on the DRB’s August 21 agenda is a lot-line adjustment, requested by James and Mary Moran and The Danoli Farm, LLC. The request would result in a transfer of 2.8 acres from one property to the other. The existing lots are at 1800 Chelsea Mountain Road, and 401 Danoli Farm Drive, both in the Rural-5 district.

The Aug 21 hearing will be held at Gifford Medical Center’s conference center, at 7 p.m.

Variances Granted

Variance requests are frequently denied, since state law requires that five criteria must all be met, in order for a variance to be granted.

That made the July 24 hearing of the Randolph DRB a noteworthy one, as the board approved no less than four variances. Two were outright approvals; one was a partial approval; and the fourth, though not formally granted, was more or less promised to the applicant.

The latter was a request from BEG Ltd, which needs a variance from the minimum-lot-size requirement to convert a former gelatin factory on Weston Street into a nine-unit condominium. The project, in the Commercial district, also needs site plan and conditional use review, pending variance approval.

The DRB closed the public hearing on BEG Ltd.’s variance request in June, and was scheduled to consider its site plan and condition use applications July 24, should the variance be approved. Although no variance was available at the July hearing, DRB Chair Joel Tillberg indicated that it would be okayed, and the board reviewed BEG’s site plan and conditional use applications.

The DRB closed the public hearing on those applications, and now has 45 days to render a decision. Sanchez indicated this week that BEG Ltd’s variance permit needs one more signature from a DRB member before it can be issued.

Also on July 24, the DRB granted variances to Stephen and Delaine Farnum of East Randolph, and to John DiGloria of North Randolph. The Farnums needed a variance from setback requirements to house animals in an existing barn, and DiGloria needed one for an addition to an existing barn.

Doris Jewett of Randolph Village, who needed a variance from the side-yard setback to add a carport and deck to her home, got only half of what she wanted. The DRB okayed a variance for the deck, but denied one for the carport. However, according to Mardee Sanchez, the board suggested an alternative for the carport.

The DRB approved a variance to put a roof over the door on that side of the house, with the variance to be granted "upon application."

Rinkers Expansion

The DRB on July 24 took evidence on an application, filed by Summit Distributing, LLC, to tear down the existing Rinker’s gas station and store, to make way for construction of a larger operation at the Exit 4 site. The project needs approval for "expansion of an existing use," as well as site plan approval.

The DRB closed the public hearing on the Rinkers’ application and has 45 days to issue a decision.

Also at its July 24 hearing, the DRB gave site plan and conditional use approval for Ruth Shumway’s proposal to add a third dwelling unit in an existing building on Route 14 in South Randolph.

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