2017-09-28-ZBA-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes of the Lexington Zoning Board of Appeals Selectmen’s Meeting Room September 28, 2017 Board Members Present: Chairwoman, Jeanne K. Krieger, Edward D. McCarthy, David G. Williams, Martha C. Wood, and Ralph D. Clifford Alternate Present: Nyles N. Barnert Administrative Staff: David George, Zoning Administrator Address: 16 South Rindge Road The petitioner submitted the following information with the application: Nature and Justification, Topographic Plan, Plot Plan, and Floor Plans. Prior to the meeting, the petitions and supporting data were reviewed by the Building Commissioner, Conservation Administrator, Town Engineer, Board of Selectmen, the Planning Director, the Historic District Commission Clerk, Historical Commission, Economic Development, and the Zoning Administrator. Comments were received from the Building Commissioner, Conservation Administrator, Planning Office, and Zoning Administrator. The petitioner is requesting a VARIANCE in accordance with the Zoning By-Law (Chapter 135 of the Code of Lexington) sections 135-9.2.2.2 and 135-4.1.1, Table 2 (Schedule of Dimensional Controls), to allow a side yard setback of 11.4 ft instead of the allowable 15 ft. The Chairwoman opened the hearing at 8:14 pm. The applicant, Mr. Walter Scott, presented the application. He is proposing to add a third bay to his 2-car garage. He currently has 5 cars and his current garage can only fit 1 car, and his shed is full. During snow storms, the additional cars don’t fit into the driveway and block the snow plows and block people from walking by. They looked at other options for placement of the garage, but they would still have had to get a variance. They also looked at putting the location of the garage in the back, but there is a propane tank buried there and electrical panels that would be in the way. Mr. Scott stated that he has a hardship because of the shape of the lot. He has 125’ frontage and his house is 66’ long. Because the lot is at an angle, it makes it difficult to keep the garage within the setback. There is only a small porition of the garage that would be in the setback. A Board Member, Mr. David G. Williams, asked if the shed is outside of the 15’ setback (yes). Mr. Williams stated that this is a self-imposed hardship. Mr. Barnert stated that they have had applicants come before them asking for a variance to have a garage when they don’t have one at all, and they have been denied. Mr. Barnert asked the applicant why it is a hardship to have a two car garage (Mr. Scott responded that he would like to be able to put 3 cars in the garage so he doesn’t have to block the sidewalk). Page 7