Grafton zoning board grants two garage variances despite setback fights

Zoning Board · Meeting of April 23, 2026

Grafton Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approves two garage variances, one to save a 100-year-old maple tree. The board voted 5-0 on all six motions covering special permits and variances for detached garages at 7 Milford Road and 257 Worcester Street. Engineer Mandy Hicks, representing applicant Gerrad Monk, won relief to build a garage 6.1 feet into a required 35-foot side setback in the OLI district.

Homeowner Cynthia Thurston won a 20-foot front and 8-foot side setback reduction for a 24-by-28-foot garage, arguing digging near her maple tree's root zone risked "kill it" and destabilizing the slope behind her house. "I love that tree," Thurston said. Vice Chair William McCusker also told the board the zoning enforcement officer will no longer issue advance zoning determination letters, requiring applicants to be formally denied a building permit before a case can reach the board.

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Source: the Zoning Board meeting of April 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.