Case 3/10/2026–1

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 — Hearing

Notice

Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois have requested a special exception under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance to allow fiber arts workshops, rental of a dressage arena, raising cashmere goats, and growing Christmas trees and lavender on Lots A-21-1 and A-30, 325 Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road.

The Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will consider this application in a public hearing on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Emergency Operations Center of the Wilton Fire Station, 102 Main Street (park across the street, NOT in the Fire Station parking lot; enter at the WEST end of the building).

Case Continued

The hearing on the request by Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois for a special exception under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance has been continued to Tuesday, April 14, 2026. If granted, the requested relief would allow fiber arts workshops, rental of a dressage arena, raising cashmere goats, and growing Christmas trees and lavender on Lots A-21-1 and A-30, 325 Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road.

Minutes

Minutes of the hearing.

Thursday, April 2, 2026 — Site Visit

Notice

Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois have requested a special exception under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance to allow fiber arts workshops, rental of a dressage arena, raising cashmere goats, and growing Christmas trees and lavender on Lots A-21-1 and A-30, 325 Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road.

The Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at 325 Burton Highway to hold a site visit for this application. The site visit is a continuation of the public hearing on the case, and is open to the public. Its purpose is to assist the Board members and other interested parties to become familiar with the property involved in the application. Board members and other interested parties may, through the Board chairperson, ask questions about, and the applicant may point out, site details pertaining to the application, such as boundaries, contours, proposed buffers, driveways, etc. No other testimony will be taken, and no other discussion should occur.

Directions: Take the driveway for 325 Burton Highway; stay right at the fork in the driveway; cross the gravel road and park by the barn.

Minutes

Minutes of the site visit.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 — Continuation

Notice

Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois have requested a special exception under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance to allow fiber arts workshops, rental of a dressage arena, raising cashmere goats, and growing Christmas trees and lavender on Lots A-21-1 and A-30, 325 Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road.

The Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will continue its public hearing on this application on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilton Town Hall Courtroom, 42 Main Street.

Notice of Decision

(Download the formal decision notice as a PDF file.)

The request by Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois for a special exception for a home occupation on Lots A-21-1 and A-30, 325 Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road, under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance has been granted in part, denied without prejudice in part, and continued in part to the May 12, 2026 Zoning Board meeting.

Background

Information considered by the Zoning Board includes the application, written submissions by the applicant and abutters, testimony by the applicant, abutters, and others at hearings on March 10 and April 14, 2026, and observations at a site visit on April 2, 2026.

• Lot A-21-1 is a 6.4 acre lot in the General Residence and Agricultural District, with 360 feet of frontage on Burton Highway.
• Lot A-30 is a 12.8 acre lot in the General Residence and Agricultural District. It abuts Lot A-21-1 across Class VI Stiles Farm Road. It has no Class V road frontage, but accesses Burton Highway by a driveway over Lot A-21-1.
• There are a house and a barn on Lot A-30, and an outdoor dressage riding arena on Lot A-21-2.

Agricultural Uses

The applicant has proposed the cultivation of lavender, the growing and seasonal on-site “cut-your-own” sale of Christmas trees, and the raising of cashmere goats.

The Zoning Board found that these uses fall under “All general farming and forestry activities,” which are permitted as of right in the General Residence and Agricultural District (Wilton Zoning Ordinance section 6.1(b)). A special exception may be granted only if the proposed use is not permitted by the Ordinance in the absence of a Special Exception (Ordinance section 4.12(a)). Therefore, the special exception for these uses is denied without prejudice.

The selectmen, the applicant, or any abutter may apply for a rehearing of this decision. A request for a rehearing must be filed in writing with the Zoning Board of Adjustment on or before Thursday, May 14, 2026, and must fully specify all grounds on which the rehearing is requested. (N.H. RSA 677:2)

Fiber Arts Workshops

The applicant has proposed holding fiber arts workshops in the barn on Lot A-30.

The Zoning Board has found that the proposed use satisfies the requirements of sections 6.6.1, 5.3.1, and 4.12 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance, and therefore has granted the special exception for the proposed use, subject to the following conditions:

• Workshops may be conducted either by the applicant or by an outside instructor.
• The applicant will be on site during all workshops.
• In addition to the applicant and the instructor, there will be no more than 15 participants in a workshop.
• Workshops may be held on no more than two days in a calendar month, except that a third day is allowed in no more than two months of each year.
• One or more workshops may be held on any workshop day, but no more than 15 total vehicle round trips associated with the workshops are allowed on any workshop day.
• Workshops will be begin no earlier than 9:00 a.m. and will end no later 6:00 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier.
• The applicant will meet the sanitary needs of the applicants either by providing portable toilets or by allowing workshop participants to use a toilet in the house.
• No rental of the dressage ring on lot A-21-1 will occur on workshop days.
• Only non-toxic dyes will be used in the workshops, and no dyes will be disposed of on the property.

This decision shall expire if the construction or use permitted by it has not begun by Friday, April 14, 2028. (Wilton Zoning Ordinance section 17.4)

The selectmen, the applicant, or any abutter may apply for a rehearing of this decision. A request for a rehearing must be filed in writing with the Zoning Board of Adjustment on or before Thursday, May 14, 2026, and must fully specify all grounds on which the rehearing is requested. (N.H. RSA 677:2)

Dressage Arena Rentals

The applicant has proposed to rent the dressage ring on Lot A-21-1 for riding practice and lessons.

The hearing on this proposal has been continued to the May 12, 2026 Zoning Board meeting.

Minutes

Minutes of the hearing.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 — Continuation

Notice

Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois have requested a special exception under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance to allow fiber arts workshops, rental of a dressage arena, raising cashmere goats, and growing Christmas trees and lavender on Lots A-21-1 and A-30, 325 Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road.

The Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will continue its public hearing on this application on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilton Town Hall Courtroom, 42 Main Street.

Notice of Decision

(Download the formal decision notice as a PDF file.)

The request by Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois for a special exception for a home occupation on Lots A-21-1 and A-30, 325 Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road, under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance, to allow rental of the dressage ring on Lot A-21-1 for riding practice and lessons, has been denied.

Case History

The applicants submitted an application on February 24, 2026 for special exceptions to allow a variety of uses as home occupations. The Board held a hearing on March 10, a site visit on April 2, and a second hearing on April 14, where the Board made decisions on all of the proposed uses except for the rental of the dressage ring. A third hearing on May 12 resulted in this decision.

Context and Description of the Proposal

This description is based on the application, information presented by the applicant and by abutters during the hearings and site visit, observations by the Board members during the site visit, and a “Site Plan Application Annex” submitted by the applicant at the April 12 hearing containing details about the proposed conduct of the “Workshops” proposed use (allowed by the April 14 decision) and the “Fenced Paddock Rental” proposed use (the subject of this decision).

• The applicants own Lots A-21-1 and A-30, located on Burton Highway and Stiles Farm Road (also known as Old Peterborough Road).
• Previous owners built a house and barn on Lot A-30, on the north side of Stiles Farm Road, and created a dressage ring on Lot A-21-1, on the south side of Stiles Farm Road, across from the house.
• The previous owners kept horses in the barn and rode them in the dressage ring,
• The applicants do not own horses and have no present intention of owning horses.
• The applicants propose to rent out the dressage ring as a way to earn income from what is, for them, an otherwise useless improvement on the property.
• Riders would rent the arena for a specific block of time, bring their own horses by trailer, ride, and then leave with their horses.
• Trailer parking would be at the barn.
• Riders would be responsible for cleaning up after their horses.
• The applicant would maintain the ring using a UTV tow bar and would dispose of manure.

The Zoning Ordinance

Lots A-21-1 and A-30 are located in the General Residence and Agricultural District, where uses permitted as of right are “Any use permitted in the Residential District” and “All general farming and forestry activities.” (§6.1)

§3.1.12 defines a home occupation as “A business operated in a building that is incidental and subordinate to the use of the building or lot for residential purposes in compliance with the criteria established for home occupations in section 5.3.1 or 6.6.1 of this Ordinance.”

§5.3.1 permits home occupations by special exception in the Residential District subject to a list of requirements, including:

1. Home occupations shall be incidental and secondary to the use of the associated dwelling unit as a residence.
2. Home occupations shall be carried on by the resident owner of the dwelling unit, resident members of the owner’s family, a resident tenant, or resident members of the tenant’s family.

§6.6.1 permits home occupations by special exception in the General Residence and Agricultural District. It states that “The provisions of Section 5.3.1 shall govern home occupations in this district except as otherwise provided for below.”

Reasons for the Decision

1. The proposed use is not “a business operated in a building,” and therefore is not a home occupation as defined in §3.1.12.
2. The proposed use is not “subordinate and incidental to the use of the building or lot for residential purposes,” and therefore is not a home occupation as defined in §3.1.12. The rental of the riding ring bears no particular logical connection to the residential use of the property. The owners could move out, the house could fall into ruins, but the riding ring rentals could continue unimpeded.
3. By the same token, the proposed use does not satisfy the requirement of §5.3.1(a) that “Home occupations shall be incidental and secondary to the use of the associated dwelling unit as a residence.”
4. The rental of facilities on a property cannot reasonably be described as being a business “carried on by” the property owner, and therefore the proposed use does not satisfy the requirement of §5.3.1(b).

Minutes

Minutes of the hearing.

Thursday, May 21, 2026 — Rehearing Request

Notice

The Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilton Town Hall Courtroom, 42 Main Street to consider requests from abutters Kenton Blagbrough, Lot A-22, and Howard Preston, Lot A-29, that it reconsider its April 14 decision, in which it granted a special exception allowing fiber arts workshops as a home occupation. This is a public meeting, but not a hearing. The decision on whether to grant a rehearing will be made on the basis of the written request, and no testimony or other input will be taken.

Notice of Decision

(Download the formal decision notice as a PDF file.)

On April 14, 2026, the Zoning Board of Adjustment granted a special exception under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance to Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois, to allow fiber arts workshops as a home occupation on Lot A-30, on Stiles Farm Road.

Abutters Kenton Blagbrough, as Trustee of the Blagbrough Family Realty Trust, Lot A-22, and Howard Preston, as Trustee of the Preston Revocable Trust, Lot A-29, submitted requests for a rehearing of the decision.

The Zoning Board has granted the requests for a rehearing of the decision to grant the special exception, because the April 14 Notice of Decision did not include specific findings of fact.

Minutes

Not yet posted.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 — Rehearing

Notice

Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois have requested a special exception under section 6.6.1 of the Wilton Zoning Ordinance to allow fiber arts workshops as a home occupation on Lot A-30, Stiles Farm Road.

The Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will consider this application in a public hearing on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilton Town Hall Courtroom, 42 Main Street.

This is a rehearing of the Zoning Board’s April 14, 2026 decision to grant the requested special exception.

All testimony, evidence, and written submissions regarding this application previously received by the Zoning Board, including the requests for rehearing submitted by abutters Kenton Blagbrough and Howard Preston, are part of the record of the case, and may be taken into account by the Board in making any decisions. Any additional relevant testimony or documents may be provided at or before the hearing.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 — Rehearing Request

Notice

The Town of Wilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will meet on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilton Town Hall Courtroom, 42 Main Street to consider a Request for Rehearing from applicants Faby Gagné and Luc Sirois that it reconsider its May 12 decision, in which it denied a special exception to allow rental of the dressage ring on Lot A-21-1 for riding practice and lessons. This is a public meeting, but not a hearing. The decision on whether to grant a rehearing will be made on the basis of the written request, and no testimony or other input will be taken.