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Zoning Board of Adjustment — May 11, 2026

Zoning Board demands evidence before excusing 10-ft setback violation at 92 Pierce Road

While no formal vote was split, the meeting featured spirited public testimony from neighbors regarding a perceived violation of zoning standards.

Date Monday, May 11, 2026 Public comments 3 Decisions 1 Lively
📄 Agenda 📄 Minutes

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Summary AI-generated to surface controversy & community impact without bias — always verify against the actual meeting before relying on it.

On May 11, the Zoning Board of Adjustment heard Case 26-02: a request to allow an Accessory Dwelling Unit at 92 Pierce Road to sit only 10 feet from the property line instead of the required 20 feet. The project had grown significantly from an approved barn renovation into a complete taller building replacement, prompting strong objections from neighbors.

Residents told the Board that “asking for forgiveness should not be a strategy that is rewarded” and questioned whether the encroachment was truly unavoidable or the result of proceeding without proper town review. The applicant’s attorney maintained there was no malintent and that the owner responded to new information from the builder.

Rather than grant the variance immediately, the Board recessed the hearing. The applicant must return on Monday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Meriden Town Hall with testimony from the builder, input from the Town’s building inspector, and a realistic cost estimate to move the structure 10 feet to comply with zoning. This continuation gives the public another chance to be heard and forces the applicant to provide evidence that the violation could not have been prevented.

Plainfield residents who care about consistent zoning enforcement should plan to attend the continued hearing. When variances become routine for projects that exceed their original scope, it undermines the rules everyone else is expected to follow.

May 11, 2026 3 public comments 1 decisions Lively
❝ Notable statements ↔ Drag to browse

“There was no malintent; the owner reacted to evolving information from the builder.”

— an applicant's attorney · Defending the applicant against claims that the setback violation was intentional.

“Asking for forgiveness, she said, should not be a strategy that is rewarded.”

— a resident · A neighbor's criticism regarding the applicant's non-compliance with the original project scope.
This meeting — choose a section

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
What was discussed

Request to reduce a 20-foot setback requirement to 10 feet.

What happened

The hearing was recessed to allow the applicant to provide testimony from the builder and building inspector, and to investigate the cost of moving the building to comply with setbacks.

Topics ⁠discussed

Each topic expands to quotes and full context.
Speakers: Richard Colburn, an applicant, a resident, an applicant's attorney, a board member
What was discussed

A request to allow an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to be located 10 feet from a property line despite a 20-foot requirement.

What happened

The hearing was recessed to allow for more information gathering regarding the possibility of moving the building or providing professional testimony.

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Case 26-02: Setback Encroachment for ADU at 92 Pierce Road

The applicant is requesting relief from a 20-foot setback requirement after a project's scale increased from a barn renovation to a full building replacement. Neighbors are concerned that the encroachment was avoidable and that granting relief rewards non-compliance.
Board position: The Board expressed skepticism regarding whether the encroachment was truly unavoidable and requested additional evidence and cost estimates for compliance.
high concern

Community vs. board tension

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
3
Speakers
3
Comments
0
Addressed
3
Partial
0
Not addressed
Paul Franklin
Partial
He expressed disappointment that the building is now a new, taller structure that could have been positioned correctly. He questioned the accuracy of the surveyor's measurements and noted that his own property's conservation easement prevents him from selling land to the neighbor. Key concern
The building is non-compliant at its closest point (9.4 feet) and the scale of the project has increased beyond what was originally approved.
Board response
The Board discussed whether the building could have been reasonably located to satisfy the setback and suggested the applicants look into the cost of moving the building.
The board acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and the fact that the setback was avoidable, but they did not reach a decision, instead requesting further testimony and cost estimates.
Amy Franklin
Partial
She stated that the project deviates from what was originally approved and should meet the necessary setback requirements. She expressed concern regarding the town's permissive approach to zoning. Key concern
The project should be required to meet the necessary setback rather than being granted relief for a mistake.
Board response
The Board discussed the difficulty of the position created by the owner's actions and requested more information from the building inspector and the builder.
The board engaged with the issue of whether the error was avoidable, but the hearing was recessed without a final determination.
Greg Castell
Partial
He expressed disappointment that the scale of the project had increased. He also noted that he intends to pursue his own projects on his property in the future. Key concern
Disappointment regarding the increased scale of the neighboring project.
Board response
The Board discussed the overall situation regarding the avoidable nature of the encroachment and requested further evidence.
The board addressed the general topic of the project's scale and compliance, but did not provide a specific ruling to the speaker.

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
00:00
Approval of the April 13th minutes as amended.
The board approved the minutes from the previous meeting after amendments were made.
Approved

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Community concerns that granting variances rewards deliberate or avoidable zoning violations
At the 5/11 Zoning Board meeting, neighbors strongly objected to a request at 92 Pierce Road to cut a required 20-ft setback in half for an ADU after the project ballooned from a barn renovation to a full taller building. The board... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/plainfield/zoning-board/2026-05-11/ #MeetingWatch
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Board requiring additional evidence rather than immediately approving a controversial encroachment
The Zoning Board recessed Case 26-02 (92 Pierce Road setback encroachment) after hearing from frustrated neighbors who said the increased building scale was not unavoidable. The applicant must now return 6/22 with builder... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/plainfield/zoning-board/2026-05-11/ #MeetingWatch #PlainfieldNH
316/280 chars

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Thread: Zoning Board of Adjustment, May 11 2026 — 92 Pierce Road setback case shows why residents are watching closely. 1/3 #MeetingWatch #PlainfieldNH
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2
Neighbors pushed back hard on a request to reduce the required 20-foot side setback to just 10 feet for an Accessory Dwelling Unit. What started as a barn renovation became a full building replacement that is taller and closer to the property line. One resident put it plainly: “Asking for forgiveness should not be a strategy that is rewarded.” 2/3
349/280
3
The Board did not approve the variance that night. They recessed the hearing until Monday, June 22 at 7pm at Meriden Town Hall. The applicant must return with: 1) testimony from the builder explaining the change, 2) input from the Town building... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/plainfield/zoning-board/2026-05-11/
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Facebook — long form

On May 11, the Zoning Board of Adjustment heard Case 26-02: a request to allow an Accessory Dwelling Unit at 92 Pierce Road to sit only 10 feet from the property line instead of the required 20 feet. The project had grown significantly from an approved barn renovation into a complete taller building replacement, prompting strong objections from neighbors.

Residents told the Board that “asking for forgiveness should not be a strategy that is rewarded” and questioned whether the encroachment was truly unavoidable or the result of proceeding without proper town review. The applicant’s attorney maintained there was no malintent and that the owner responded to new information from the builder.

Rather than grant the variance immediately, the Board recessed the hearing. The applicant must return on Monday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Meriden Town Hall with testimony from the builder, input from the Town’s building inspector, and a realistic cost estimate to move the structure 10 feet to comply with zoning. This continuation gives the public another chance to be heard and forces the applicant to provide evidence that the violation could not have been prevented.

Plainfield residents who care about consistent zoning enforcement should plan to attend the continued hearing. When variances become routine for projects that exceed their original scope, it undermines the rules everyone else is expected to follow. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/plainfield/zoning-board/2026-05-11/ #MeetingWatch #PlainfieldNH

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Provide testimony from the builder regarding the findings during the project and testimony from the Town's building inspector.
Assigned: the applicant · Due: June 22, 2026
Investigate the cost of moving the building 10 feet to the west to comply with setbacks.
Assigned: the applicant · Due: June 22, 2026
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Report composed by xai.grok-4.3, grok-4.20-0309-non-reasoning, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-07-25.