WELLESLEY PLANNING BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
ROOM 105 - WELLESLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
MINUTES
Present: Mr. Frisardi, Ms. Donahue, Mr. McCauley, Ms. Lehmann, … …. Mrs. Jop, Mr. Brown.
Stephanie Wasser
Review of Petitions to the Zoning Board of Appeals
The Planning Board reviewed the following cases coming before the April 10, 2008 Public Hearing and offered comments as follows:
ZBA 2008-17
10 Pine Plain Road
Cecile Aylett
Special Permit/Findings
The Planning Board reviewed the application submission materials and had no objection to the granting of this petition.
Mr. McCauley abstained from the vote on this petition.
ZBA 2008-18
339 Linden Street
James & Judith Barr
Appeals
The Zoning Bylaw currently does not provide for any setback for retaining walls. The Planning Board supported the position of the Inspector of Buildings and recommended that the appeal be dismissed.
ZBA 2008-20
21 Squirrel Road
Jerome & Sheridan Kassirer
Special Permit
The Planning Board opposed the granting of this request. The combined structure would be 5.7 feet from the street and 7.5 feet from the sideline. Attaching the non-conforming garage to the house would create an intensification of the non-conformity that would be more detrimental than the existing non-conformity.
ZBA 2008-21
27 Beechwood Terrace
Joshua Tracey & Stephanie Sheps
Special Permits/Findings
The Planning Board reviewed the application submission materials and had no objection to the granting of this petition.
ZBA 2008-22 (Same petition reviewed by the Board February 25, 2008 was withdrawn and resubmitted).
62 Arnold Road
Pamela Wilson
Special Permit/Findings
Area resident Stephanie Wasser attended the Planning Board meeting. She circulated photographs of recent construction at #66 Arnold Road (same builder). She said that the proposed house (#62) will triple the size of the existing house. She expressed her concerns about the impact on topography and drainage aggravated by loss of mature trees (she indicated that the lot at #66 had been clear cut with 32 mature trees removed and anticipated a similar fate for the trees on this lot). She felt that the new house will exceed the neighborhood norm in terms of bulk and height. She indicated that there is an attractive natural feature on this lot (ledge outcropping) which will likely be removed.
The Planning Board commented that it remains opposed to the granting of this request.
The Board felt the project to be inconsistent with:
the guidelines of the recently adopted Large House Review;
the recent SJC Norwell Case (SJC-09941 January 7, 2008) which more narrowly defines and limits acceptable projects on non-conforming lots; and
acceptable changes to non-conforming lots contemplated under ZBL Section XVII.
This project constitutes an intensification of the use on the non-conforming lot and will be substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood.
Next Meeting: Monday, April 10, 2008
Meeting Adjourned: 7:28 p.m.
Approved: 4/28/08
Richard H. Brown, Planning Director
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