Carriage-house variance sought at 1207 Orchard Road; applicants say motor court will be resurfaced with permeable pavers

Ben Curry of Berkey Construction and property owners Peter and Leah Rai sought a variance to build a carriage house exceeding the 600-square-foot maximum at 1207 Orchard Road in the R-1 Residential District. The applicants said the proposed structure would be freestanding, single story and would include a powder room (no living quarters). The motor court where the carriage house would be sited is existing McAdam surfacing that the applicants said needs resurfacing; their plan is to resurface much of the motor court area with pavers (a permeable surface) and to repair an existing catch basin and terracotta storm pipe.

Applicants and their representative said the property is roughly 3.5 acres, set back from the road, and that the carriage house would be located within an existing stone-walled motor court area. The applicants told the board they currently store maintenance equipment off-site, including on an adjacent historically related property; they said the new carriage house would consolidate storage on the owners’ property, aid in upkeep of the historic site and allow removal of some smaller sheds. Staff noted that the project may trigger minor land development review and that stormwater systems (including the repaired catch basin) would be addressed when the final surfacing and drainage plans are drawn.

No neighbors testified in opposition; the board closed the hearing and will issue a written decision next month. The chair told the applicants a workshop/executive-session conversation could occur beforehand to clarify construction practices, but emphasized that nothing would be final until the official vote.

Why it matters: The variance affects an architecturally sensitive historic property and raises site-drainage and construction-practice issues; staff and board referenced minor land development and stormwater remediation steps that would follow approval.