Scituate Boards Discuss “Privacy” Setbacks and Mooring Priority in Proposed Bylaw Updates

https://www.southshore.news/p/scituate-boards-discuss-privacy-setbacks

Publish Date: 2026-03-13 06:02:00

SCITUATE – March 3, 2026 – In a joint session, Scituate’s governing bodies debated a sweeping array of bylaw amendments that could fundamentally change the town’s coastal landscape. From a controversial 51% income rule for commercial mooring priority to new restrictions on how close residents can build decks to their property lines, the meeting highlighted a growing tension between protecting traditional “cottage” privacy and the realities of modern “raise-and-reconstruct” development.

The joint meeting, chaired by Select Board Chair Andrew Goodrich, served as a final “sanity check” for dozens of articles headed to the upcoming Annual Town Meeting. While many changes were dismissed as “housekeeping,” the discussion quickly sharpened when it reached Article 23 (Zoning) and Article 26 (Waterways), both of which hit the heart of Scituate’s coastal identity.

The Battle Over Deck Setbacks Town Planner Karen Joseph presented changes to Section 620, which would increase rear-yard setbacks for one-story detached buildings from 8 to 15 feet in R1 and R2 districts [12:45]. However, the most heated exchange centered on a new provision regarding decks and stairs [14:06]. Under the proposal, any deck or stairs over 30 inches in height would be strictly prohibited from encroaching into setbacks.

Select Board member Nico Afanasenko raised concerns about the impact on R3 districts, such as Sand Hills and Minot [18:05]. In these densely packed neighborhoods, many homes are being raised to meet FEMA flood requirements. “If you’re living down in a district that already has 8-foot setbacks, you’re on top of each other already,” Afanasenko noted, questioning if the “privacy” argument held water when neighbors can already “reach out and grab the next door neighbor’s bathroom window” [20:23].

Joseph countered that the measure is necessary to “rein in” developers who build 8,000-square-foot homes on 7,000-square-foot lots, stripping away the…

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