Board denies request to convert garage at 0 Saucier St.; neighbors cite fire and parking concerns
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Summary
The board denied Brad Turner's petition to convert an existing garage at 0 Saucier Street into a two-unit residential building after neighbors and board members raised safety and parking concerns about the narrow street and proximity to neighboring houses.
The Zoning Board of Appeals denied a petition to convert an existing garage into a two-unit residential building at 0 Saucier St. (Map G-16 Lot 13), after public testimony and board discussion highlighted safety, fire-access and parking problems on the narrow street.
Attorney Peter Salino presented the applicant’s case on behalf of property owner Brad Turner, citing a structural engineer’s letter stating the building could support a second floor and arguing that nearby lots contain two-family homes, making the proposed use compatible. The application requested a special permit to extend an existing nonconforming structure and a variance to allow conversion to a two-family with four off‑street parking spaces.
Multiple abutters and neighbors spoke against the proposal. Anna Prock and family members who live at 18 Saucier said the proposed second story would be “a piece of plywood” immediately outside their second‑floor windows. Former fire-service professional Roger St. Martin and other speakers described the street as “very narrow” and recalled past fires and emergency access problems; several cited congestion during tournaments at the nearby softball field.
Board members repeatedly raised fire‑safety and access concerns. One member noted uncertainty about the neighboring building’s compliance with current fire-safety standards (for example, hard-wired alarms) and questioned whether adding a building so close to others would worsen fire risk. The board also examined surveys and conflicting measurements about distances between buildings and property lines.
After discussion, a motion to deny both the variance and special permit passed on recorded roll call. The board found the proposed second floor would be “more detrimental” to the neighborhood, citing the close spacing between buildings, narrow street and demonstrated access challenges for emergency vehicles and parking. The record shows a majority vote to deny both relief requests.