Board approves special permit for front-yard parking at 157 Congress Ave with landscaping and department sign-off

The Chelsea Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special permit to allow on-site parking within the front-yard setback at 157 Congress Ave for Kitiana Moreno Gough, with conditions intended to limit visual and pedestrian impacts.

The board attached Planning Board-recommended conditions including a fence along the property to the back of the sidewalk, a landscape strip behind that fence, and the use of permeable pavers or pavement. Planning staff and the board added that the Planning Department must review and sign off on the final permeable paving and construction details before work begins.

Applicant Kitiana Moreno Gough presented a plan showing space for up to four parked vehicles and described a driveway configuration intended to permit vehicles to turn on-site rather than reverse into the street. Planning staff said the driveway aisle measures roughly 32–33 feet at the relevant point, noting the city zoning minimum aisle width is 24 feet. The board and staff discussed sight-lines, signage and the fence alignment; staff said the fence should stop at the driveway entrance and meet the existing fence at the corner.

The board voted to approve the special permit with the listed conditions and department approval required prior to construction. The applicant was reminded to submit final plans to the Planning Department before starting work.

Why it matters: The approval changes how the property can be used for parking and aims to reduce on-street parking by allowing defined on-site spaces while requiring landscaping and design controls to limit impact on neighbors.