During the Jan. 17 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting one of the agenda items was in regards to a special exception request to allow a home occupation for home office with company vehicles on site for the property located 56 South Road.
It was explained by the owner and applicant, Mark Thibodeau, that they were looking to park two of the company vehicles, in order to allow his wife and himself to park their vehicles at home. He said their company is Tibs Taps, which he described as a draft beer insulation cleaning company.
“We’re not doing anything out of the house for a business. I do admin work in the basement of that said business,” Thibodeau said.
He said one of the vehicles is a “very small truck that is parked out back” and the other is a vehicle in between a car and a truck.
Assistant Town Manager, Kellie Caron, said there is a home office there since work directly related to the business is being done.
“So it’s a portion of the business,” Caron said, noting that since there are two vehicles they need to get a special exception.
One question asked was whether or not the vehicles are logoed.
“They are indeed logoed,” Thibodeau said.
Thibodeau said the hours for the business at the home would be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. five days a week.
No one spoke for the exemption, however, two households, who are abutters to the property, wrote a letter in opposition of the special exception.
One of the things pointed out in the letter was that they also have two detached garages, and trailers are also parked in the yard.
“Are the detached garages and trailers also affiliated with the home business,” they wrote, asking if they would be removed if the exception is approved.
Vice Chair, Suzanne Brunelle, said they are taxed accordingly, based on the assessors website.
Thibodeau confirmed that none of those things were ever used for the business.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment ultimately denied the special exception.
“The board voted that you can not have the home occupation,” Chair Jacqueline Benard said.
Thibodeau asked what the next steps are.
Caron explained that they have a 30 day appeal period, and if they don’t the expectation would be that they don’t park two vehicles there related to the business. She added that by right they can park one of the vehicles on the property.
Zoning Administrator, Nick Codner, said if they change the registration and take the lettering off of one of the vehicles making it a personal vehicle they would be allowed to park both there.