631. Okay. Well, we'll get started with the uh meeting um with the board. So, uh just the rules of the thing uh before you speak uh we'll ask for the there's two petitions tonight. Um one's a continuence uh with a new publication
and the change in the variance request. Uh that's a continuation from a previous hearing for property on Maple and Chesna Street. Uh and then there is a second uh petition tonight for a variance for some
property on the corner of the right. Well, I think it's Corning Road in and Springfield uh to build a garage and they need a variance for the garage. So, if you speak tonight, just if ask the proponents to speak, give their names um
and their address. Um ask for those in favor to speak first. After they spoken, we'll allow anybody that opposes what's ever being proposed to speak. Uh if something new is proposed by the opponents, we'll give the uh proponents
an opportunity to address things that were brought up uh by the opponents. So, um, each of the members, uh, in order to get the variance, you need a four or five vote. We've got five members here present tonight to be successful. Five,
you'll need four of the vote. So, a three, even if you want a 3-2 vote, that does not grant the variance um, in place. You need four to five. Um, so if if someone wants to read the the clerk will read the minutes of the meeting.
East LA zoning board of appeals public hearing legal notice. Eastlon metal zoning board of appeals will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 11th, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Pleasant Valley Senior Center, 328 North Main Street, East LA Meadow, and via Zoom webinar.
Case ZV202501, a petition for variance under East LA metal zoning bylaws, table 32, front edge requirements, in which the applicant is required to have 100 ft of frontage with adequate physical access currently has 40.17 ft of frontage along
Maple Street. Parcel is located on Chestnut Street. Assessor's parcel IDs 6128 AF 6128G in the residence B zoning district. Applicant Brown Meadow LLC courtesy of Levine Law 56 Summers Road East Slow.
Information relating to applicants filed with the Department of Planning and Community Development available for inspection at town hall. This is published on both July 24th and July 23rd. In the reminder, new notices sent out to the better. And
so it so just to have the record show that the the open meeting took place uh and that the new noticees sent to the abutters above petition. Um
the attorney Lavine is here. Good evening everyone. Uh evening for having him again. Uh, as you recall, I was here on June 23rd, uh, requesting that the board allow access for, uh, to use the Maple Street
frontage for two lots, uh, for lots that have at about 20 ft of frontage on Maple and well over 100 feet on Chestnut, um, which would be adequate frontage, uh, with the request being based on that the
Chestnut Street land is unbuildable, uh, and asking for to allow access off of Maple Street in order to make the lots buildable. Uh the board uh and I hope I don't speak for you uh seem to generally agree that the chestnut portion of the
land is unbuildable and uh unusable and to have access off of chestnut would be would prevent a present a very large hardship to the property owner. Uh but the board suggested that the application
uh should be amended and will be probably rejected uh because there was two lots and that the applicant had created some hardship by having two lots rather than one. Uh so after confirming with my clients uh they appreciated your
reasoning and asked me to amend the application. Uh so the application uh presented a new narrative uh to the ZBA uh that asked for variance for one lot and they the applicants also had a new survey prepared by Smith Associates
combining the two lots and showing 40.17 feet of frontage on maple and a combined frontage on chestnut of 215.54 ft. Uh this new ANR plan was recorded last week on book of plans 403 page 95.
I have copies of that. Uh if anybody on the board would like that I don't know if um Jeff Sure. Um and otherwise the reasoning I presented at the last hearing and in the
application uh has not changed. Uh and I will go over the factors for the variance if the board would like. Otherwise uh I think we can stand on the application and my uh well at least one of my clients is here to answer any technical questions if the board has
any. So, uh, from what I can see, the the new lot is a is combined, which you had was a two lots. Um, that would be the square footage here. It now has. Okay.
It's very small. I I gave you all my copies. Put it in. So, it's 5 plus acres, right? Yeah. It's 5.53 acres. So, that's going to be the new parcel uh which has 40 ft uh of frontage on Maple Street and 215 or thereabouts. Um
however, um the same situation exists with regard to chestnut seat. There's ass wetlands all on the chestnut. Uh you'd have to bring in a ton of fill to put a driveway in and I'm not sure you'd ever even be able to bring it in uh without ruining whatever wetland is
there. Um the upland for the property is all uh basically on the Maple Street side. Uh this would allow one my understanding from what I can see is there already is a curb cut for this parcel. Um uh right where the driveway
would be. Um that's been there for years. Um and that would be where the location of the the proposed driveway would uh run up sub that curb cut. So there wouldn't be another curve cut. Um and we wouldn't
have two lots coming out in a in a just around the curve on the the thing. Would just be one lot coming out onto Maple Street. But those were some of the concerns. The only concern I had is um in is the I you
know I didn't know if they had had any plans for the type of house it was going to be built and exactly where it was going to be built. I mean I'm assuming you can build it. I mean, is the barn going to remain in the shed or I'm assuming one of those is coming down? Hi guys.
Hi. Name's Mitchell Hy. Um the it's kind of up for discussion on whether the barn was going to stay. Um one of the plans was possibly to knock down the barn and build a house in that area. Yeah. And then use that driveway with the curb cut. Yeah.
So the other plan had the house next to it, but that kind of got Well, that's the question is I mean with the barn the way it is either that you move it closer up um you know to where where the shed is there on the parcel
up in front of the barn. Um I it's probably going to be probably in that general area of the barn. The barn probably would be knocked down. Okay. No, just I didn't know what size of house that, you know, the petition
would be, you know, in terms of the size to discuss the We didn't talk on this one. We had on the the previous one 2400. Yeah. I was just about to say probably between 2,00 2500 ft. Nothing crazy. Okay.
And that's uh the previous plan with the two houses had both a 2,000 foot house and a a 2500 foot house roughly laid at be somewhere between 2,000. I just didn't know where on the site you were going to with the revised plan or
generally around I would say probably right there. Yeah. So there was uh a setback on well this the old plan we had did not have a set back on here. Um but at least 40 ft behind
uh lot H probably more than that. Okay. Closer closer to where the barn is, which is probably probably around 80 feet. Okay. No, I just didn't know where where you're going to put it. Obviously, from your point of view with the, you know,
closer to the road you build, the less cost it is for driveway and utilities and yeah else. Um, anybody have any further question? We went through a lot of the stuff at the last hearing. Here's the new subdivision plan and you've got it. It'll be seen.
This is pretty much, as I recall, we discussed at the last meeting. Looks as though they came back and did what we were expecting they would do. So I I don't have any further questions or issues with it. Jim,
the driveway for 286, I think it's a it's like a horseshoe driveway if not mistaken. The house that's there. Yeah. It also looks like it it currently at least connects to the the additional lot. It used to we cut it off so that it wouldn't so it no longer connects to it. Think now that's gravel.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's a gravel to the barn, but paved it. All right. Um, if it were to get approved, we'd put up probably a piece of guardrail there to separate it so that they didn't turn around there. But the pavement, the new asphalt does end. So, it won't be a common driveway. Won't be a common driveway. No,
that was my question. The size of the proposed driveway lengthwise, uh, widthwise. Did it say that? Uh, there it's in the bylaws, I believe. the the minimum um
I think it's I'm not sure. It might be 12 feet. 10 or 12. I think it is. Yeah, I believe the curb cut right now is about 12. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you've got plenty of room there, so that doesn't think that affects. I'm sure you'd want to build it as
narrow as you could to avoid the just on the on the basis of puffs of asphalt, but it's got to be wide enough to make practical use of it. a moving van down it so on the emergency vehicles. Agreed. So, um, so I'm sure the building department
would want to know about that. U, I don't know if that needs to be part of our approval or not. Maybe it does. I don't think it does. No, you don't think so. Permit wouldn't be issued unless it met Unless it met though. Also, both departments of fire and building saw these plans before the hearing. Didn't have any comments or
anything about driveway widths. I know typically certain length I think it's over 200 feet if you want it to be 20 feet wide. I don't see you getting that distance at all with this driveway at the curb cut. It's not 20 feet, but
you there's quite a bit of room between where we stop the driveway to the property line. There's probably Yeah. over 20 something feet. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that looks like a better location where it is like you
were saying, Mitch. So, yeah. To the shed, it's at least 120 ft, right? I I can't see. Yeah. Deep. I I can't see what that first length is. Uh hard to see.
Yeah. I think you're way under what? Yeah. Agreed. There's an issue there. No further questions from the board. Is anybody here to speak in opposition? Yeah. Hi. You can stand up here if you want.
That's fine. Just sign sign your name and address. If you could sit close up here so the mic can pick you up, that'd be awesome. Thank you. At our first meeting, I think I asked this question. Um, what's changed? I
don't understand. Uh, he was going for to get two. No, I I'm not talking about that. He can build nine houses if he wants. Why are we going to change a variance that's been in place for 40 years?
Well, even longer. Albert died in 1986. I had to look it up. So Nean took possession of that property before Albert died. Certainly I don't know how many years he had it. So we've already had this discussion. My parents fought this. Nothing was ever built. So
if the variance is the variance is there for a reason. The hardship, there's no hardship other than he bought a property that he can't build on. And you can't use Chestnut Street. There's not enough fill in the United States because you'll sink. So, I guess I'm a little
frustrated like I don't I don't have anything against Josh and him, but if you start to do this for them and not just them, but somebody else is going to come forward. You're supposed to be protecting us. I like it's not going to affect me. Those
people live on Maple Street. I might see the house when it finally gets built or doesn't get built through the trees, but I I'm just confused. I don't know. Right. So a variance is in when you have a situation with a unique lot. So you
have a a unique lot here that has a ton of frontage that if you had regular land there because of the soil conditions, i.e. the wetlands, um you would normally be able to come right off of Chest Street any issue whatsoever. The problem
is he can't access it through frontage. So he has to come in on Maple Street and there just isn't 100 ft of frontage on Maple Street. So he has to get a variance to to build on it. He's got five acres of land. Um three and a half of them he
but I understand but he's still got a two plus acre land that he can build on um that he has a curb cut to to get back to the property and it it's you know the use that he's making as a residential. I think there would be, you know, both
advantageous to the town and to the to the neighborhood to, you know, another house. I don't think if you were living there, you might not feel that way. Well, I and it's hard to say. I mean, it it it'll obviously I guess I'm trying to just understand like how does this all roll out? I get you can't use Chestnut Street. I mean,
that's right. And that's that's what the hardship is about. Uh the Chestnut Street uh parcel. I mean, what Mr. Nean did with the property and why he didn't do what he did I have no idea because they told him no as Mr. Mr. Carettoa who spoke in the first meeting
he was going to buy that property and he was told no by two different people I don't know if he said the difference between being told no or or or being told what you what you think you might be able to do and actually coming before a board and requesting permission are two different things. I
understand where you're coming from. Why is it that that people seem to have been prevented to do what this gentleman is now seeming and I give him credit for his tenacity to continue fighting? I just I understand and and like taxpayer I don't get it, right? And and like you, we have nothing
against we want to help the residents as well. But when someone can demonstrate under our bylaw and under mass general laws that they deserve the relief they've requested, then we have to give it to them regardless of how people feel
who may have lived adjacent to it for many many years without having to look at someone's house because for years no one really ever tried very hard. So I because I wouldn't vote for this if it if if there was no grounds for it.
Regardless of how you might feel, I just wouldn't. Like I said, I'm never going to this was taken care of however many years ago. And the answer was no. Taken care of. And and and anytime people seek relief under zoning in any
community anywhere, I used to do it for a living. It's all it's always subject to the times and and timing and who's on and who's on the and so that's why a variance should be a varian a political thing. I get it. But so once this gets passed, what are
their next steps? Because somebody else along the way could say no. Correct. I mean, I'm just asking. No, they they've got to go with a variance that now allows them to go with a building permit to seek a building permit to build and the police, the fire, you know, everybody will sign off if they meet the
code. Um the variants, the only thing they don't meet to build on this is the frontage. They have more than enough square footage uh in the zone they're in. It's a lot lot more than what you're required to have. Um and I think it's a good use. the up
not on Maple Street, but yes. No, no, I understand. I mean, it it's it's a unique that's why it's a unique lot because it has, you know, basically the frontage on Chestnut is unusable, which I think is what creates the hardship here because normally you'd
have your roadway coming in through Chestnut Street, but you the upland is all on the other side of a massive wetland back there that you're never going to cover that you can't you couldn't even to get a road. I don't even know. You got you got the shore line that runs through there and everything else. Yeah.
To the left of it. So it's not I I get that piece. I guess I I'm just saying a variance is a variance for a reason. Right. And that's what the reason is. You have to show a hardship related to the the soils, the topography, and that's what he's shown at least in my
opinion. Um I would other members agree. I'm not I'm just agree. That's that's my worried is down the road and I it won't affect me because there's no other land that you can build on around me, but for somebody else to come before this board the same happen and it's I don't know if
we're setting a bad precedent. I I don't know. It's a single family um use on a two you know two plus usable acres of land which is much larger than a lot of the other lots um that are on Maple Street. So grew I grew up in a situation like this in
Long Meadow where we lived up against unimproved land and my father used to brag back in the 60s. No one's ever going to be able to build behind us. And that was true for like 15 years. He used to call the people that would prevent that from happening the bird and bunny
people. This is precursor to the EPA. But sure enough, somebody bought land back there and it was developed even though there were a lot of challenges. There's Culver's a sur been through Long Meadow Country Club, you know, and and unfortun
You know, you wse a little bit when you see what was, you know, just Well, I I mean, I have a I have a pork chop lot right next to my neighbors in line with my built-in pool in the backyard. Lovely people. We get along great. My mother was distraught when they were building that house.
My hope is that's what it is. My hope is the applicant hears you loud and clear tonight and no good and and is sensitive to when he you know what and the other are you going to live there like I I just you know here an LLC comes in great you bought the property now you're going to
build a house are you actually living in it like that bothers me a little bit you know if you're going to live in my community and you want this change and I know we can't make them but I just feel like it's a money grabber on that sense but I'm not I'm not here to judge him I'm just talking about we understand
the variance and just like ah you know my parents did this already and I'm in the home now and I'm not going to fight it but it is what it is. So and we understand we don't grant them lightly test of the law. You know sometimes you're granting variances that
personally you may not agree with you know and you understand the shoes on the other foot but we're up here just interpreting what the law says and as you should and so I appreciate that and I I do appreciate the work that you do. I'm not trying to anyone. I'm just, you know, it's it's the first time in I
don't even know. My dad died in 1999, so we're going back that we've even talked about that land and Mr. Nean and was good friends with my parents, so that's all. I'm just trying to figure it out. I don't, you know, I wish him the best of luck or whatever, but thank you.
Oh, thank you. You're welcome. Any other comments? Yeah. Question. It just unclear as to where the house is going to be built. So, are we assuming that the art is going to be taken? We don't know that for a fact. I mean,
there it's going to be built, you know, if you take it, it's going to be built in the back. If you look at the new plan this I mean that sir, I don't I don't have Yeah. Well, this is this is this is the new subdivision plan. So that's what I was asking where the building is gonna
it's going to go somewhere where the between the shed and the barn in that area. The barn may come down, it may not, but it's going to be back toward the barn uh in the area. So it's going to be a good, you know, I'm thinking 70 80 feet behind the rear line of the
house that's on Maple Street. Never mind the house. It would probably be another 30 or 40 feet on that. So, it's going to be over 100 ft away from the uh you know, and you've got a lot of land in East Law Meadow where people's backyards above each other and you don't have
that. Um and the back is never going to get developed that that the area if you took a line and went straight across with the wetlands sort of end um that's never going to be used. It's just going to be open space. See it's straight back
going right here the drop right front you can see very easily. Yeah yeah yeah it's totally flat. So this area here is probably the area that's going to be filled and it's unfortunately you can't get there from
Chester Street. One family home the single family that's what was a bulk attractive to me because it's keeping with the neighborhood. You know we don't have somebody who wants to put in lowincome housing or something and a and
and cram it in a a small lot. So, I think it benefits the the town as well as the the neighborhood and it'll be in keeping with the uses in the neighborhood. Thank you. I just had some but not
okay. My subdivision backs up against yours and I look in your backyard. You look in my backyard here. You don't have to follow the craziness. That's cool with Okay. Anthonyato. Oh, sir. Can you um I
know microphone. Yeah, it's fine. The microphone can only pick you up. You're so close to it. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Uh 268 Maple Street. Uh I'm hearing a lot of uh possibly maybe
Where are the specifics? Where exactly is this house going to? Maybe we'll tear the barn down. Maybe we won't. You know, I'm not I'm not really against uh you know, the u house being I mean, it's going to be one house. I don't understand that.
Why don't we have any specifics here? Because they they haven't made up their mind, but they'll have to meet whatever the codes are required. So, they're going to have to be off the setback lines um that are required. The house is going to have to have utilities. is going to have to have a adequate
driveway. The question is, but I can't tell you what have the specifics. Why are we having the meeting? Because they're not required. They're trying to make it. They're not required to have specific. They don't have to have specifics on the building. They're they're going to require. They do have to explain
the location of the building. Well, he's given a rough location. That's why I asked where the it's going to be. No, we're rough. Is that But I can't tell them they have to put it right in this particular spot. No. Well, we could narrow it down to Yeah. I mean, he basically said it's going to be somewhere from back of the
shed to the barn in that area. You know what? It's wherever he has the legal right to put it. This board does not have the authority to opine over where he puts it. Wherever
he puts it has to meet code. We don't have that right. This is not the planning board that gets involved in aesthetics and things like that. It's not up to us. So, we don't require a detailed plan showing the exact placement of the house. All we're doing
is giving him the ability to potentially build a single family home. If he can't meet the requirements, then he's not going to be able to build a single family home. But we're basically saying we're gonna we are are find out hardship based on the frontage that you don't
have 100 int. No, I mean you know all we're doing is making it into a building. My question is why aren't there any specifics here? I mean that's quite a bit of land. Right. Right. And you know so we answered that question for you. We explained to you
that it isn't in our purview. We don't require them to submit plans that show the more detailed plans that you've requested now four or five times here. Yeah. Okay. You you're asking for the same thing over and over again. And I think the question's been answered.
Yeah. I mean, this building has there's height requirements in the city. He can't be too close to a sideline. Um, so once I I create a building lot, if I set this square, you can put the house anywhere you want on that building lot as long as it meets all the setback
requirements. Your building is not too high. It's served by water and sewer. Um, it's just like a vacant lot that people buy and sell. And there's a lot of vacant what they call in parcels uh within the town where a person has a lot
next to their home uh that a 50 by 100 person can build a home on that whether I like it or not but he has to meet the requirements of the setbacks um requirements because that's what state law says and that's what we're
we're doing. So yeah, I can't tell him he has to put it in this spot on his lot. That's not part of our No, you can't tell him, but he can tell us, right? He could tell. He's going to eventually have to give that to the the the
building inspector a plan showing exactly with a plot plan and a building plan that he gives to the to the building and applies for a building permit. If he doesn't meet the requirements, he will not get a business. I I mean, I don't know why we don't have
that now. That's what I don't understand. No, no, I understand. I but I can't force him to give me that to say okay I want this type of house it's got to be a cape house it's got to be a a man I'm ask where where's the house
approximately where is it going to be and that's what that's what it's going to be in this area here somewhere in here right in here he said somewhere from the shed to back to here okay so that's roughly where it's going to be
and it's going to be well behind this lot because he said it's going to be behind the shed and it may go all the way back to the barn and the barn might come down. He hadn't determined. Well, I mean the legal right to do that and if it was your land you'd want you'd
want that right. You wouldn't want somebody trying to dictate to you where on your own lot you can put but I mean that's what you're going to build something you got to tell somebody. We're not giving a building permit. See this? I think you're confusing us with issue a building department, a building
permit. We we all we're being asked to do is grant a variance. So that that's what we're considering a variance. Granting a variance knowing where the house is actually going to go. No, it doesn't look like that. No,
doesn't work. It doesn't work that way. Okay. I just uh I don't quite understand it. Maybe it's my fault. I don't know any other comments. Exhausted everybody in the audience. Okay.
Um any questions? No. Questions? Do you have a motion to close the hearing? Hearing So moved. So moved. Seconded. Okay. All in favor say I and raise your hand. I I unanimous.
Um, do we have any motions to either approve or disapprove uh the variance and reasons why? Up the building department now. Well, as far as the what building gets built, but the question is uh does uh someone want to make a motion to either approve or
not approve the make a motion to approve it uh as per the plan the the information that's been submitted on the basis the applicant has we submitted a plan that complies with
concerns raised the previous meeting which were uh that that uh we understood the width of the driveway and uh better understood where on the lot the dwelling or might be placed and that a variance
uh under the mass general laws uh comports uh with the with the request of the applicant. Yeah, I would just find them the hardship, you know, in terms of the soil shape topography is the steep hill coming off of and the wetlands and the soils that you just can't build from
that area. So, you can't put a driveway. So, I think and it's also unique. There's not another lot um in that area that has that that situation. I think it's for the good of both the town and the and the neighborhood. At least you'll know what's going to be developed here. It's going to be a single family
home, which is in keeping with what's there now. It's not going to be any anything different. Hopefully, it's as nice, if not nicer, than the homes that are there. Um, I can't, you know, guarantee what he's going to build, but he's invested quite a bit of money, so
hopefully he builds a a good house. I can't tell him what he has to build. Um, and I think it's in it benefits the the community and I don't think it derates from the intent. Uh, he's going to have frontage on Maple Street. There already
is a curb cut. Cars are, you know, that have accessed that piece have used that curb cut in the past. Um, and it'll be a dedicated driveway just to this household. So, um, I think that that adds to the safety of it. So, I think it meets all those and it's a benefit to
the town. It's going to be improvement to the land. Uh, and the town will benefit as well by higher tax dollars hopefully as a building lot compared to what what he had before. Right. So, I got a motion out there, right? Motion. Anybody second that?
Second. Fran, we'll take a vote, a roll call vote. We'll start down with you. I'll approve it according to what we had. Jim, I'm in favor. I'm also in favor. I'm in favor. Doesn't matter what I say because we got
four. But I'll say this that between June and today, there hasn't been any change in my mind in in what the the the topography and the soil conditions are. What has changed? which I think is the nature of the permit. What was two homes
going in with two driveways that were going to be crammed into Maple Street um is now one. And I think and Mark, you said it, the safety getting into out of the access ingress onto Maple Street with one driveway versus two with one
single family home um is much more in in uh keeping with the neighborhood. Uh so I'm so in favor. Okay. So well said. I agree. So in in this particular case, the
variance has been granted. There's a 20-day appeal period. Do you have a right to appeal to the court? Uh if you don't like the decision, and the court could theoretically appeal, uh you wouldn't be able to get a building permit till the 20-day appeal period expires. and hope and if someone files
an appeal um you theoretically could uh still apply and get a permit but you're building your risk if you get overturned um which means you know I'm not sure a bank would give you any financing for that. Um
that's the small that's that's the small print. Yeah. Large print giveth and the small print taketh away. So, but that but there is a 20-day appeal period from when we filed it with the town clerk. Usually, it takes a day or two to get it filed up the decision.
I'll sign it and file it with the clerk. Yep. And I'll reach out and I'll get that process started tomorrow too and have him review it and go from there. And then there's also a it's a one-year time limit to begin on the construction. Yeah. You have the right to extend it by six months after that one year period has
passed on the barrels. But any questions? Good. Awesome. Right. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Mr. Chair, uh, one thing we forgot to do. Yeah, we forgot the minutes. The minutes approve the minutes, but I
was going to do that at the end if we could have people here. We've got a second matter on for tonight property on Dwight Road uh, in Corning Street. The clerk will read read the minutes and
open the hearing. Slim metal zoning board of appeals hold a public hearing on Monday, August 11th, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Pleasant Valley, excuse me, Pleasant View Senior Center, 328 North Main Street, Islam
Meadow, and via Zoom webinar. Case ZV202502, a petition for variance under Eastan Metal zoning bylaws, table 32, in which the applicant is requesting relief from the side and rear yard setbacks to
construct a 500 ft garage at 367 Dwight Road in East LA Meadow. Assessor's parcel ID 34779 in the residenc zoning district. Applicant Thomas Woodp 367 Dwight Road, Springfield, Mass.
Information related to applicants filed with the department of planning and community development is available for public inspection. This was published again on both July 24th and July 31st. And the reminder I believe abudding notices were sent in both Springfield and Islamophitt.
It was also posted. So from a jurisdictional point we can hear the case. Um so I think you heard what I had to say. If you want to come forward, write your name down and give your presentation.
Thomas Woodop, owner of the property at 367 Dwight Road, Springfield is the address. Um there's a small portion of the property that's in East Long Meadow where there's currently a carport. The driveway comes off of uh Corning Street. Uh I'd like to
put a garage in place of the carport that's suitable in size to to store a one vehicle and a small camper trailer and also yard uh tools. Um really it's the best spot on the lot
because the driveway is coming from Corning Street. South side of the property is on the corner of Corning and Dwight Road and I don't believe there's enough. It's it's in Springfield. I don't believe there's enough room in that space to fit the garage. The only other space would be in the north side of the property
which would have would require moving the driveway onto Dwight Road is a very busy street. um entering and exiting from that is not ideal. Um so unfortunately the
the lot is is uh shaped in a in a way that uh I believe they did it this way in order to make a building lot behind. When we were looking at the house back in 2001, it we didn't we weren't aware that the um lot had been broken up. There was no house there yet on Corning
Street and um so we weren't really aware that of the shape of the lot other than the plot plan that we had but you know we didn't we're actually kind of young we weren't really pay paying that much attention to it but when they put up the house and other people that put up fences it it kind of it shrinks that
area which is why you know in order to fit the garage there it's not going to meet the step back requirements. So what what kind of relief what does he need? He needs well he needs so the the issue comes on the way our zoning uh is set that if you
have an a detached structure um behind the primary structure then you have a smaller setback requirement. You can go within I think 5t of the property line. So it's behind the house. You're behind the house. The problem
here is it's not behind the house. Uh but I did have one question here is um your proposed garage is only going to be 20 ft. The house is 20.9 ft. whether or not um rather than create do we need a
variance to to since it's moved forward or do we move the thing back so it's 20.9 ft from Corning Street and instead of a 5ft variance the grand you know the 5T variance on that side
on that side well the side yeah I mean the back would be 4T probably but because you have 20.9 ft so you'd add a 0.9 ft with the with a garage to make it even with the front of the house. The front of the house is actually on Dwight Road.
No, no, I understand. But the side of the house there to make match up with the line on Corning Street. Um cuz you're a corner lot is the problem. And you got to meet you have two front setbacks when you have a lot even though side of your house.
That's what makes this a a problem in Massachusetts based on a lot career on Yeah. And that's that's why I'm here is because No, no. The question I had is whether or not you could move it back 0.9 ft the beginning of the garage. So the side
otherwise I think we'd have to grant a variance in addition to what you're asking for for the frontage because you're you're you're moving the the frontage. You're accepted because you can go to the house where the house is is it's a pre-existing use and you could
build up to the to the line of the house without a variance. Okay. But here you're going back only 20 ft and the house is 20.9 ft from the isn't the same. You see the shape what is from the house to corning it's 20.9. Okay. And so the garage essentially has
to be 20.9 or you need an additional variance and well in order to fit the 25 ft which is but no we would actually change the variance in the back to make it take the five to a four to make it to four. Yeah, I don't think four would be enough though because the the current the the
carport that's there is a 12x 20 and it's 5t off of both you can see the jog in the property. It's 5t off both of those. So I'm just looking at your plan like your groove. Yeah. So, you have five feet behind the back of the garage. Yes. If you move this back 0.9, you're going
to have 4 uh Yeah..1 one, right? Yeah. Cuz chicken, but then see the 25 ft. That still brings it beyond the 25 ft is is is this. Yeah. We're not changing the dimensions of the garage. Not the garage. Take the garage. I'm going to push it back.9 ft. So, it's
going to go like this. So, you're 25 ft. It'll still be 25 ft. Yeah. But it still comes beyond the the house. It won't go beyond the side here. So, in other words, this this line will be continued straight like this. Your garage will go back 25 ft.
I thought well like I said that the the current carport is a is 20 ft deep and it's in the car current might infringe on the Here's your current carport here according to the plan there. That's in line with the house in the front. So, we're adding an additional 5 ft onto it.
So, that's why I mean he wants he needs to come further, right? But I'm talking about from the street. This is there's no street here. No, there's not. So it's what happens is you have to either meet cuz I the frontage is like the back set is like 40 ft which because
you have a house in the there already but you didn't see that's what I was asking the front. So you're just carrying here and so we had grant 25 grand. So you could have four feet here and four feet here. So you could push this back another foot which will make
it in line. So because otherwise I've got to give you a variance for the front. I got to give you this and this. So you need three. You only applied for two. Yes. This would right and this would get you to the same place. Right. Right.
It just that is that still slope up there. I not that portion of the property. It does. And on your other side does. Okay. He bumps right up. It's 25 ft. It's 25. That's what I thought. He needs 25 ft from the front here and
then 12 from the sides to meet zoning for that district. Right. Right. Yeah. And we're granting the variance either. So whether I grant a four or five, you know, five feet to four feet, one one will either be an eight uh foot or a or
a Yeah. 7 foot variance. But either way, I'm going to be granting a side and rear yard variant. our front yard, but I I'd have to grant under this plan, I'd have to grant the front yard because you're 0.9 ft closer to the Corning Street than the house is.
I mean, if honestly, whatever it takes to to be able to Yeah. No, no, no. I I'm just pointing it out. I because apply as long as we can get because the size is I think what Mark has has described will work, get you where you want to go. It's
just a cleaner way for us to do it because what you're asking for we I don't think we can grant. Okay. The way you've asked for it. And for some reason, you know, when you go to build on it and and your builder goes and marks his corners before he
builds, which you should do, and it doesn't jive and come back and we'll figure it out. And if I if I go by your plan here, I mean, they look the street looks the house looks parallel to the street. When I looked at it, yes, it looked parallel to the street. So, you're just going to
continue that line down where your garage is, and you're going to have 6.4 ft between the garage and the house. Yes. And then you're going to have 25 ft from the front line here where the house is on Corning Street back 25 ft. And you've
got 50 feet. So, if you've got uh 20.9, okay, that should leave you with 25 ft. 25 feet plus if I take that you should have 29 point something feet to one feet
I mean we could make them both for mark yeah that's what I'm saying about the point you know so we got to make a motion out of that can you do that well actually um you could make that condition of the variance yeah would it be condition that that because I he didn't ask I can't grant what he didn't ask for and he need he
would in my opinion require the update the plans uh and make those adjustments before issuance of building permit. Building permit. That's what Yeah, that's what I had asked that he give a a point of just showing. But your garage will just be 6.4 ft from the house.
20 It'll be 20 ft wide by 25 ft deep. Yeah. But it will be in line with the side of the house from Corning Street so that we're not granting a frontage variance because otherwise building hangs off the side of the
existing dwelling then we have a then you know then you're in violation of what's being granted. So you got to keep it in line. Yeah. You just say that's off on the street. So pushing it back moving it back.9 ft.9 ft. So the fronts of both buildings are the exact same distance from Corning
Street. When they measure it, they'll have to just make sure they're 20 ft off 29 ft off of Corning. Headaches. This will raise up later down the road, right? But it shouldn't change your 4 foot, you know, bearing because this looks to be parallel with the the the thing and
based on what we're looking at. Yeah. Just based on the plan that Smith gave you. So and it it'll push it back 0.9 ft. So I mean that it's got to go that far back. So you got four feet, you know, five feet back there. So it'll leave you with 4.1 ft left.
Always happy to help a guy get a garage. If there's anybody anybody uh anybody else on Zoom or anybody who wants to oppose there anybody to speak in favor besides Mr. Wood cup. And for the person on Zoom, if you wish
to be heard um on this matter, just use your raise hand function now. So we know. Take that as a no. Thank you. There's nobody. So just for the record, there was no other pro or con.
And we move to close public hearing. Second. All in favor raise your hand. I uh do we have a motion? Uh you need to make the motion. I think I'm not sure I can.
All right. I'll I'll move that due to the very unique nature of of this uh plot coupled with the safety concerns of getting into and out of Dwight Road versus a side street
um in that it's consistent with the nature of this neighborhood. I move to approve the variance subject to uh a 4 foot condition on the northern boundary of the of the chart that is of the uh plot that is consistent with the
4ft boundary on the eastern right yeah that's right y the garage will be and the front of the garage will be even with the front of the house or side of the house it gives you another.1 of an inch point um but the intent is that It's it it is
no further um closer to Corning Street than than the house is. Okay, that needs a second. I'll second. Second. So, all in favor? I I So, it's been granted. Um you'll just
have to move when you have your person do it, just make sure it's Yeah. When Paul comes back, you can just he can just just make sure the building foundations comport with the decision. Okay. In the way it's written. So when you actually we're giving you an extra foot in there.1
foot when you go to Paul you're ready to go to the building inspect if there's a problem let us know. So Paul's going to need to redraw he's going to have to make some you'll have to give the build the building department when he gets his when he goes for building permit right have to just give a revised plan. It's just shifting it back. Yeah, it's
just see what happened is because your our zoning says if you're you're on a corner lot, you got to meet both street pointages and the requirement is 40 ft. Mhm. But you got a pre-existing house and we have exemptions when you have
pre-existing houses that are already closer to the street. You can match the closest house to the street within so many feet of your house. And actually, it's not 40 feet, it's 25 feet. Oh, 25 feet. 25. still it's not but this makes you go we don't have to get get
another have a right to build equal to the house and that's what we're giving you here and just to reiterate what we told the last applicant you know you do have one year from the date that the documents filed with town clerk um and then after that year if you need more time you can come back and request action with this
board um generally what that means is you have to at least start the process of getting your peruction and then you're all go from there. Um, and then I'll reach out to you tomorrow about next step. So do there is like the last one. Is there a 20 day appeal? The 20-day appeal period. So we'll file
within a couple days. So today the 11th probably by the 13 building or buying one and pl Yeah, I'm really You do have the right to start your preparations for the building permit. Um, just keep in mind that you're proceeding at your own risk if somebody could challenge it.
Not likely any bas I'm hoping to move as quickly as possible. But you need a building permit. So So you get the building contractor. So they they can that part of it. Yeah.
So make sure it measures back 20.9 ft. So it just it has to be perfectly in line with the front the side of the house there. That's all. And I think you got more than enough to go 25 ft back. And we're granting a variance to give you actually 0.1 more one tenth of a
Sounds great. So we're generous. Really appreciate it. Okay. All right. Thank you much. We don't have anything we got to do. No, we just got to approve the minutes from the June 23rd. I've read them. Does anybody have any questions? Everything looked good. Should we approve the minutes?
Yeah, we all in favor. Seconded. Second. Second, Fran. And it's unanimous. Okay. We move to close the publicly meeting. All moved. All in favor?