ZBA grants driveway setback and landscape relief for 532 Gorham Street to add two off‑street spaces

The Lowell Zoning Board of Appeals on May 29 approved variances to permit construction of a driveway and two off‑street parking spaces at 532 Gorham Street.

Jillian Wright of Chess Engineering presented the proposal on behalf of applicant Jamie Lee. Wright said the narrow, older lot (approximately 44 feet wide in the front) currently had no driveway and that the proposal would place the new driveway next to the house and use retaining walls to bridge a roughly four‑foot drop to the sidewalk; she noted MassDOT is planning sidewalk work on that corridor and the applicant intends to coordinate with MassDOT permits.

Member McCarthy thanked the applicant for thorough materials and asked about retaining‑wall width and height; Wright said the retaining wall will be about 4 feet tall with a base designed by a structural engineer and that soil/structural analysis will be required. Board members discussed the tight dimensions — the driveway uses roughly 9 feet 1 inch of available width leaving about 1 foot 7 inches for retaining-wall construction — and urged the applicant to confirm engineering and any required easements for wall maintenance.

Member McCarthy moved to approve ZBA‑2025‑20 for relief from driveway‑setback and landscape/open‑space frontage requirements; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call. Several members said they supported taking cars off the street in the neighborhood and encouraged the applicant to resolve structural and permitting issues with staff before construction.