ZBA Grants Garage Variance for Fire-Rebuilt Home

Zoning Board of Appeals · Meeting of October 14, 2026

Groton's Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance letting a fire-damaged home at 22 Mountain Lakes Trail rebuild with an attached garage just five feet from a neighbor's lake-access lot, instead of the usual 15 feet. Representative Don Black told the board owner Richard McVillia's rebuild actually cuts the home's overall nonconforming footprint by about 181 square feet by removing an old deck, staircase and shed, with the garage as the only new nonconformity. Board members, including one identified as Bruce, rejected a letter from Bob Collins arguing a "derelict fee" statute might already give McVillia partial ownership of the neighboring 20-foot strip, noting owner Kimberly Pike holds a deed and pays taxes on it.

Zoning board member Jack Petropolis, participating remotely, said he found the request consistent with the neighborhood's character once the ownership question was resolved. The board approved the variance by voice vote with no recorded opposition, then separately voted 8-0 by roll call to enter executive session over pending litigation.

In the full story:

• Variance Request: Garage at 22 Mountain Lakes Trail
• The Paper Road Question
• The Vote
• General Business: Invoice and Minutes
• Transition to Executive Session
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,681 words

Source: the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting of October 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.