ZBA approves ADU addition at 15 Karen Avenue despite large frontage encroachment
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Summary
The board granted a 15‑foot frontage setback variance to allow a roughly 700‑square‑foot single‑level accessory dwelling unit addition at 15 Karen Avenue, finding lot size and house placement limit other options.
The Nashua Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance on Aug. 12 allowing a 23‑by‑30 attached addition for an accessory dwelling unit at 15 Karen Avenue. The approval permits a 15‑foot encroachment into the 25‑foot frontage setback along the Celeste Street frontage; the Karen Avenue frontage will retain the required setback.
Applicant representative John Cruz said the quarter‑acre corner lot and the placement of the existing 960‑square‑foot house make the encroachment necessary; the proposed ADU would be under 700 square feet and match the house’s style. Cruz said the addition would let the homeowner keep an aging relative nearby while maintaining separate living space.
Board members noted the neighborhood contains similarly sized homes and that building an addition without encroaching on a corner‑lot frontage would be impractical. Members Boucher and Mancara said the proposed addition fits the area’s character; the motion to approve passed unanimously. The board noted the ADU affidavit and that ADUs are now administratively tracked in the building/permit process rather than solely by board action.
The variance was granted from Land Use Code section 190‑16, Table 16‑3 to allow the 15‑foot encroachment on the Celeste Street frontage for the ADU addition. Approval is subject to the usual 30‑day appeal period.