Zoning board approves 4-foot rear-setback variance for addition at 2327 Saint Will Avenue

At a zoning appeals hearing, a municipal zoning appeals board approved a variance letting the owner of 2327 Saint Will Avenue reduce the required rear-yard setback from 40 feet to 36 feet to accommodate an addition and deck behind the garage. The board voted to approve the variance after discussion and without recorded objections from neighbors.

The variance shortens the required residential A rear setback by four feet. Board members discussed the proposed location — an addition to the south side of the existing house that would extend closer to the adjoining lot on Mayflower — and confirmed the rest of the addition complies with zoning standards. The applicant said the reduced setback would allow construction of a deck behind the garage, which the applicant described as more usable than the existing open yard space.

Board member discussion noted the board’s history of approving similar reductions; one member recalled a prior approval that also reduced a 40-foot setback to 36 feet. The applicant stated that neighbors had been notified twice about the hearing and that the applicant had walked the block and found no objections. Drawings and a proposed plot plan were submitted with the application and were available to the board.

There was no public comment objecting to the variance during the hearing. After closing the public portion of the hearing, a board member moved to approve the variance; another seconded the motion and the board voted in favor. The motion approved the requested 4-foot reduction to allow the proposed addition and deck to extend to a 36-foot rear setback.

No further conditions, mitigation measures, or related permit restrictions were recorded on the transcript. The board noted the matter was the only new-business item on the agenda that night. The board discussed scheduling for future meetings before adjourning.