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ZBA denies parking/landscaping variance at 19 Centennial Drive after safety questions
Summary
The Zoning Board denied a variance that would have reduced landscaping and added about 30 parking spaces at 19 Centennial Drive, amid board concerns about sight lines and the absence of a traffic study.
The Peabody Zoning Board of Appeals denied a variance request from 19 Centennial Drive LLC to cut into required landscaping and reduce setbacks to add parking at 19 Centennial Drive.
Attorney John Kelty, representing 19 Centennial Drive LLC, told the board the property is fully tenanted and the owner wanted to add about 32 parking spaces by cutting into the landscaping perimeter. Kelty said the change would reduce on-street queuing and better serve tenants. Kelty also said he would add low plantings or annuals rather than trees where sight lines could be affected.
Board members questioned the estimate of added spaces and raised safety and sight-line concerns. One member noted there was already about 100 parking spaces on site and asked whether removing landscaping to add parked cars would worsen sight lines. The board also asked whether a traffic study had been completed; the applicant confirmed there was no traffic study.
In the roll-call vote the motion failed: Mister Slattery voted no, Mister Gilbert yes, Mister O'Brien no, Mister Osborn yes and Miss Golojie no, and the chair declared the application did not pass.
Community Development had no objection to the variance request, but the board denied the relief after discussion about safety, parking counts and visual impact. The applicant may reapply.
