Q:

Jack from Still River asks: “I’m considering putting a small garden shed in my yard.  Are there any restrictions or considerations as to where I can put it?”

A:

This should be an easy answer, but with Harvard bylaws, it isn’t so simple.  The placement of the shed needs to satisfy the town’s Protective Bylaw setback requirements.  “Setback” refers to how close to an abutter’s property you can locate structures. The setbacks are dependent upon the type of lot you have, and determining the type of lot is not always simple, either!  You may have a standard lot (at least 1.50 acres and 150’ of street frontage), a hammerhead or backland lot (at least 50’ of street frontage and 4.5-acres, with exceptions).  There are also obscure types of lots and non-conforming lots, created before the bylaws prohibited them, and grandfathered – lawful with restrictions.  You have a standard lot, which makes determining setback requirements easier.

In most cases, the shed (or any structure other than fences, signs and poles) must be set back at least 60 feet from abutters’ property lines if you live in the AR district.  [The AR district is the Agricultural/Residential district where most people in town live. The Commercial District generally runs along Ayer Road from Route 2 north to the Ayer town line.]  Keep the shed at least 75 feet from the roadway centerline.  You live on an arterial street (Ayer Road, Still River Road or Mass. Ave.), which requires 125 feet from the centerline of the roadway for some properties, but not yours.

This information is all in the town’s protective bylaws, which are available online at www.harvard.ma.us/publicdocs.htm.

Pressed for Details is written by South Shaker Road resident and former Planning Board member Marc Sevigny, who welcomes your questions about living in Harvard. Send them to PressedForDetails@charter.net.