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Local zoning board moves Global Home Sales hearing to July, extends a 2023 dimensional variance to June 3, 2026
Summary
At its June 3 meeting the local zoning board granted a one-month continuance for an application by Global Home Sales Solutions LLC and voted to extend a dimensional variance previously granted in September 2023; the board also discussed whether extension authority should be delegated to staff or require a code change.
The local zoning board on June 3 granted a continuance for an application by Global Home Sales Solutions LLC and approved a one-year extension of a dimensional variance previously granted to an applicant identified in the record as Matthias Korn.
The continuance for Global Home Sales Solutions LLC was requested because the applicant or its representative said they were not ready to proceed and asked that the hearing be rescheduled for the board’s July meeting. The board moved the matter to the July 8 meeting by voice vote.
The board then heard a separate request from Matthias Korn, who said the dimensional variance the board granted in September 2023 had lapsed in September 2024 and asked for an extension. Korn told the board, “we're gonna be able to get going in the next 2 months,” and said the applicants had changed contractors and were confident the project would start soon.
Member Faramont moved to approve the extension from the June 3 meeting date through June 3, 2026; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Board members in the record who voiced approval included Member Spitzaro, Member Damsen and Member Curtis; the chair announced the extension had been granted.
During discussion the board and staff raised several procedural issues. The chair and other members said the board currently holds the authority to grant extensions but that the council could consider changing the ordinance to let an administrative official (for example, the zoning official) handle routine extensions. One member noted it might be inefficient for applicants to appear before the board for short extensions. The board also discussed fairness when multiple applicants appear on the same agenda — suggesting last-minute continuances can affect other applicants scheduled for the same meeting.
Staff and a member with building-trade experience explained that whether a project must comply with a newer code cycle depends on the date the permit is pulled. The discussion referenced the National Electric Code and Rhode Island’s adoption timeline as an example: a project’s applicable code can change depending on the permit date.
The board did not adopt a formal change to the ordinance at the meeting; members agreed that a code or policy change could be drafted for later consideration to provide parameters under which an administrative officer could approve extensions. The board also scheduled a heavier agenda for July and checked member availability for the July 8 meeting.
The meeting record shows the board took no additional formal action on either application at the June 3 session.
