Fall River ZBA tables Little Hands College child-care request after neighbors and staff raise parking, historic-district concerns

The Zoning Board of Appeals of the City of Fall River on Sept. 18 tabled a special-permit application from Little Hands College Inc. to operate a child-care facility at 551 Rock Street, citing outstanding questions about parking requirements and a building-inspector determination. The board voted to delay action while it requests clarification from the building inspector about a Sept. 16 letter regarding change-of-use parking requirements.

Why it matters: The proposal would convert a former orthodontic/professional office location into an early-education center in a part of the city located inside Fall River’s 40C historic district. Neighbors and the preservation group told the board they expect more traffic, noise and on-street parking demand than the prior office use, and they urged denial or…