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Fall River planning board endorses five subdivision plans, flags deed-recording and easement details
Summary
The Fall River Planning Board voted to endorse five Form A (ANR) plans splitting properties across the city, approving lot lines subject to variances or land court review and noting recording and easement clarifications.
The Fall River Planning Board on Oct. 8 endorsed five Form A (ANR) plans to subdivide properties across the city, approving plans for 283–289 Fifth Street, 2573–2589 South Main Street, 321 Lake Avenue, 992 Pine/206–218 Plain Street, and 253 Bailey Street while noting clerical and recording issues that must be corrected before final recording.
Chris Levesque, assistant planner for the City of Fall River, told the board that File 25-1639 would divide 283 and 289 Fifth Street into two lots — a 3,609-square-foot lot at 289 Fifth Street with about 15.04 feet of frontage and a 3,573-square-foot lot at 283 Fifth Street with about 40 feet of frontage — and that the division is subject to a special permit from the Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals. "This division is subject to a special permit granted by the Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals, and therefore, recommend that this plan should be awarded endorsement," Levesque said.
Levesque described File 25-1640 (2573 and 2589 South Main Street) as a five-lot division to accommodate two- and three-family dwellings, noting Lot 1 will be 6,633 square feet (53.1 feet frontage) and Lot 5 will include the existing three-family at 2589 South Main. He said the project includes a shared common driveway serving Lots 2–4 and that the plan was reviewed by the fire department for emergency access.
Board member Gloria (planning board member) called attention to a clerical error on File 25-1640: "Under plan notes section 2, the deed book reference is incorrect," she said, asking staff to correct the deed/book citation before recording. Levesque confirmed staff and the planning clerk would check and correct the recording references before the plan is recorded.
For File 25-1641 (321 Lake Avenue), Levesque said the plan conveys a parcel to square off an existing single-family lot; the applicant received a variance from the zoning board. File 25-1642 (992 Pine/206–218 Plain Street) divides the property into three lots and includes an access easement to allow an owner to cross adjacent lots to reach a one-stall garage. Levesque explained the dashed line on the plan is the easement and the boulder line indicates the property line.
File 25-1643 (253 Bailey Street) was described as a two-lot division of registered land. Levesque notified the board that because the land is registered, the endorsed ANR plan must be forwarded to the Massachusetts Land Court rather than recorded at the registry. "This property is not suitable for recording at the registry, because this is land court land, and the division requires a petition and approval from the Massachusetts Land Court," he said.
The board voted to endorse each plan after motions and seconds; board discussion emphasized site-access details (hammerhead turn/driveway), fire-department review, and correcting deed references before recording. Minutes from the previous meeting were tabled; members noted that those minutes must return for approval when all members are present.
The approvals will allow applicants to proceed with the next regulatory or recording steps: applicants with zoning board variances must rely on ZBA approvals, and registered-land divisions require Land Court petitioning before final recording.
