ZBA approves driveway-length variance at 15 Morris Ave amid neighbor parking concerns

The Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 4–1 July 15 to approve a variance for 15 Morris Avenue in the Weirs Beach area, allowing the property owner to build a reduced-length driveway and an on-site garage configuration. The decision clears the remaining variance for a project that the applicant said has already been narrowed from multiple requests to the single driveway variance under review.

The application, presented by Attorney Jim Coles for Community Rentals, asks the board to permit a driveway substantially shorter than the 19 feet required by the ordinance and to allow a garage on the bottom level to provide off-street parking. Coles told the board the project was continued from a prior hearing and that Exhibit 19—filed after the May 19 meeting—shows the proposed building is below the 35-foot height limit. He said the proposed garage would fit “2 very large vehicles or 4 smaller compact vehicles” and argued that removing cars from the street would improve neighborhood safety and circulation.

Neighbors and abutters testified against the requested relief during the public hearing, pressing the board on sight lines, turning radii and existing parking patterns. Noreen Kelly of 22 Morris Ave said tenants from Allen Lane currently park in front of 15 Morris and warned the new configuration could displace those cars onto narrow public ways; Kevin Kelly said he expected continued street parking would block access and create hazards for emergency vehicles. Pamela Cott, an abutting neighbor, said she believed there was inadequate space for a car to back out “without coming on someone else’s property.” Public commenters also questioned whether a rooftop deck would reappear in later plans and asked for clearer drawings of vehicle turning paths.

Board members discussed those concerns. Several said they had inspected the site and believed the proposed under‑building garage is a practical way to provide off‑street parking in a densely developed area. One board member noted that the applicant had reduced earlier requests (including height and multiple variances) down to the single driveway variance before the ZBA. Another member said a turn‑radius diagram would normally be expected at planning review but accepted the applicant’s representation that the double‑door garage design would make ingress and egress workable.

Motion and outcome: The board moved to approve application ZB2025‑057, the driveway variance request as described by the applicant; the motion passed 4–1. The minutes record the vote tally as “passes 4 to 1.” The motion and vote were entered on the record by the board; the meeting transcript does not include a roll-call breakdown of each member’s vote.

Why it matters: The decision allows additional off‑street parking at a narrow, summer‑seasoned street in Weirs Beach—an area where parking scarcity and pedestrian activity are recurring community concerns. Neighbors’ objections focused on circulation and practical access rather than on building height or use.

What’s next: The variance approval resolves the ZBA stage; planning and building review remain for any required site or building permits, where the applicant may be required to submit further turning‑radius drawings, final elevations and drainage measures.