By Thane Grauel
WESTPORT — A Kings Highway North homeowner is seeking permission to build a small accessory dwelling unit behind the main the home.
Avengelia Tsiropoulos of 64 Kings Highway North has applied to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance.
According to application materials, the new, two-story structure would have a footprint of 25 by 18 feet, and would be 20 feet 8 inches at its tallest point. It would be built at the southeast corner of the property.
The ground floor would have a kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom.
The second floor would have two bedrooms and a bath.
The property in the historic neighborhood lies midway between Ludlow Road and Wright Street.
There are many centuries-old houses in the area, but the main structure at 64 is not one of them. Land records state the custom Colonial was built in 1938. An addition was built in the same style in 2023.
The town has made efforts in recent years to encourage accessory dwelling units, ADUs, after decades of discouraging them.
This project will need a variance for setbacks. The hardship, the application states: “This is an undersized lot of 0.4 of an acre in a one-acre zone.”
No structures would be demolished for the project.
The application was recently filed and does not yet appear on a ZBA agenda.
Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 36 years. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.
Who wouldn’t like a guest house, the dreaded in- law apartment or a new crib for the kids who flew back to the nest post college ? Since when has the town encouraged little houses to be built in your own backyard? Has zoning been updated from current metrics to postage stamp lots? Will this not further create a drain on public services,schools, WPD,WFD and add to the already paralyzing traffic jams throughout town? Will it not change the very character of the place we call home if every neighbor elects to build a living shed on his lawn? Maybe offer it as affordable housing because who doesn’t dream of becoming a slum lord?
And why now is this being encouraged? Is it perhaps because the town needs to raise taxes to feed the coffers of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund?