Essex Junction DRB denies waiver for 177 West Street fourplex; paved apron required

At a specially scheduled meeting June 9, the Essex Junction Development Review Board voted unanimously to deny a waiver request from Adam and Eva Slocum that would have exempted the conversion of an existing duplex at 177 West Street from the Land Development Code’s paved driveway-apron requirement.

The item before the board was a site-plan review and an associated waiver request to Section 703 K 3 of the Land Development Code, which allows residential driveways serving up to five homes to be gravel but requires that any driveway apron in the public right of way be paved 20 feet beyond the right-of-way edge. Michael Giguere, planning staff, told the board staff had issued a zoning permit for the fourplex but that the applicants sought an exemption from paving the apron.

The board’s concern centered on existing driveway conditions and vehicle behavior. One board member said the current gravel area already functions like an oversized parking yard and warned that doubling units could make on‑yard parking worse: “if a fourplex generates more than 4 cars … they’re gonna park wherever they want,” the member said. Giguere explained the code requirements in detail: “Hard all parking areas shall be hard surfaced. Hard surfaced in the land development code, typically excludes gravel…703 K 3 specifically says residential driveways serving up to 5 homes may be gravel, but the driveway apron in any portion in the public right of way must be paved 20 feet beyond the edge of the public right of way.”

Board members also discussed driveway width and curb-cut limits under recent LDC amendments. Staff and the board noted the code limits the curb cut at the street to 27 feet or 30% of lot frontage, whichever is less, although the driveway may widen further on the lot. The board observed photographs and staff site review showing a broad gravel area that appears to extend well beyond a typical curb-cut width and recommended bringing the apron into compliance to reduce runoff and the visual impact of an expanded gravel pad.

A motion to deny the waiver and require a paved apron consistent with the Land Development Code and the issued permit carried unanimously. The board asked that the site plan comply with the permit as issued (permit referenced in discussion as permit 41) and the LDC apron/curb-cut standards when work proceeds.

The denial leaves the existing zoning permit requirement in force; staff said they will expect the applicants to provide paving consistent with the LDC when they seek to implement the site work. No additional specific fines, appeal steps, or enforcement timelines were announced during the meeting.

The applicants are Adam and Eva Slocum; they were not present at the hearing but had submitted photographs and a site plan. The board heard from planning staff and discussed possible conditions to limit the visible gravel area and to better control parking patterns around the property.