The Marion ZBA met on Thursday, August 9 to continue a discussion tabled from the July 26 meeting. The sole item on the agenda was regarding approval for Sanford Russell, Jr., to replace a carport with a garage, remove a retaining wall, relocate and expand a boulder retaining wall, reconstruct part of the driveway and install a trench drain at 5 Main Street.
A final decision by the ZBA has been prolonged due to some concern from abutters, such as encroachment over property lines, drainage problems and the height of the proposed building.
The garage would be large enough to house two cars and would have a second floor to be dedicated for storage only. According to Will Saltonstall, the architect on the project, the structure would be hooked up to electricity but not sewer.
At the previous meeting, upon ZBA Chairman Bob Wedge’s recommendation, Saltonstall advised the Russells to request the discussion be tabled so they may speak individually with their neighbors in order to directly remedy their concerns.
Saltonstall presented new plans to the ZBA tonight.
“The proposed location of the building has changed since we last spoke. As you recall, the original proposal had the proposed structure right up against the property line,” he said. The structure has since been moved back several feet.
Saltonstall also presented a revised architectural drawing of the building, which now includes a lower pitch, which reduces the top volume of the building.
“The total height now at the peak is 20 feet, eight inches,” he said. The original height of the structure was 25 feet.
He said that they even used balloons to better illustrate the visual impact of the height of the proposed garage.
“We tried to do our best to keep the utility of what we’re doing and to address the concerns of our neighbors,” Russell said.
William Rogerson, an abutter at 9 Main Street, thought that the height of the building would hinder the view of the harbor near Hiller Street, a popular area for people to walk and bike.
“I would argue that it is one of the most heavily traveled areas in Marion,” he said. “I think it changes the character of the neighborhood to some extent or to some significant extent.”
He cited the design of the garage, which he said resembles a barn due to its block and tackle pulley system and large front doors, as being incongruent with the aesthetic of the neighborhood.
Rogerson also said that the current structure violates setbacks no matter which street, Hiller or Main, is considered to be the frontage of the house.
Linda Goodwin of 5 Hiller Street was originally worried that the structure would encroach on her property, but the revised plan addressed her concern in full.
“I just wanted to say that I have no objection to the revised plan,” she said.
Chairman Bob Wedge said that he was confident the ZBA had an adequate amount of information about the project and would take the next two weeks to examine it in full and render a decision.
“We will notify you by mail on our decision. The owners will be notified at the same time as the neighbors,” said Wedge.
The next meeting of the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals will be on Thursday, September 13 at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.
By Eric Tripoli
