Development Review Board approves Marvin Street single‑family home with setback waiver and stormwater conditions

The Development Review Board voted unanimously to approve construction of a three‑bedroom single‑family home and garage at 0 Marvin Street (referred to in application materials as 20 Marvin Street), subject to final stormwater and erosion‑prevention measures and a recorded access easement note. The board also approved a limited setback accommodation for roof overhangs to no less than 8.5 feet.

The board’s zoning administrator, Meredith Crandall, explained why the project required board review: the parcel contains steep slopes that trigger slopes review, the proposed driveway is closer than the minimum spacing to adjacent driveways, and a subdivision permit from 2019 contained landscaping and stormwater conditions that flow to future development. Crandall said the landscaping requirement referenced section 3506 of the city’s standards and that “generally speaking, this project for a single family home would not be subject to any landscaping requirements.” The board subsequently agreed that the 2019 subdivision condition should not be imposed as a condition on this single‑family permit but would remain in the technical record.

Jeff Woleski, the civil engineer on the project with Cadabau Consulting Engineers, described grading and stormwater measures planned for the roughly 0.1‑acre lot. He said the structure footprint is about 1,750 square feet and the house will be two stories with a walkout lower level. To manage runoff the design includes two grass swales, a stone conveyance swale, a stone‑lined pre‑treatment forebay and an elongated infiltration basin with an underdrain tied into an existing catch basin north of the property. Woleski said his HydroCAD modeling showed that “post stormwater of 25 year rain event conditions are significantly less — actually about half of what the preexisting 25‑year discharge from the site” and that the underdrain and sewer would connect to existing utilities under an access easement the applicant has procured.

Applicant Tim Heaney and the board discussed driveway siting and the small (approximately 60‑foot) frontage that constrained where a conforming driveway could be placed. Woleski and staff said the Department of Public Works had no objection to the proposed driveway location given the low speeds and volumes on Marvin Street and site sightlines.

On the zoning issues, the board clarified that the action was limited to the plans as submitted: the approval authorizes the project shown in application Z‑2025‑0060 with a waiver allowing roof overhangs to encroach the side yard setback at no less than 8.5 feet; it does not permit relocating the building footprint generally closer to the property line. The board also decided not to add a landscaping condition beyond the existing technical record from the 2019 subdivision approval, saying that landscaping for a single‑family house would normally be left to the owner.

Board member Joe Kiernan made the motion to approve the application as presented, Catherine Burgess seconded, and the four board members present (Kiernan, Burgess, Brian Jones and Chair Kevin O'Connell) voted yes.

The motion carried with the following conditions of approval: the final erosion prevention and sediment control (EPSC) plan must be filed with the zoning administrator and must reference the access easement cited by Department of Public Works staff prior to issuance of the zoning permit; and notes showing the recorded easement reference must be added to the EPSC plan. The board’s decision will be finalized in a written decision to be signed and issued.

Why it matters: The board’s approval resolves several technical issues that prevented administrative approval — steep slopes review, nonconforming driveway spacing, and carry‑over subdivision permit language — and sets the conditions the applicant must meet before a permit is issued.