Yarmouth Board of Appeals approves Inn’s room increase, permits screened porch; continues ice‑machine case, several petitions withdrawn

YARMOUTH, Mass. — The Town of Yarmouth Board of Appeals on Jan. 9 modified a 2006 special‑permit decision to let the Inn at Cape Cod LLC increase the number of guest rooms from nine to 12, approved a screened porch at 90 Seaview Ave., continued a high‑profile ice‑machine variance to Feb. 27 and recorded several withdrawals or continuances of pending petitions.

The actions affect a mix of small businesses and homeowners on Route 28, Yarmouth Port and West Yarmouth and hinge on local zoning rules and separate health and building approvals.

The board’s decision on the Inn at Cape Cod came after the applicant described 18 years of restoration work and an updated septic system. Michael Castles, owner of Inn at Cape Cod LLC, said the third‑floor rooms were original to the property and the work “will not entail any change to the exterior of the building.” The board modified decision No. 4063 (08/16/2006) to increase allowable rooms from nine to 12, conditioned on Board of Health and building‑department approvals and granting a waiver for a certified site plot plan older than two years. The motion carried unanimously (5–0).

Why it matters: The inn’s owner told the board he has already spent about $120,000 on the most recent work, upgraded the septic system to handle the additional rooms and organized parking so the town’s standards will be met. The board recorded that the applicant demonstrated the criteria in the zoning bylaw and that granting the modification would not create undue nuisance, hazard or congestion.

On Seaview Avenue, Sand Dollar Customs, LLC (petition 5148) won approval for a screened porch addition limited to non–year‑round use with no heat. Walter Warren, co‑owner of Sand Dollar Customs, presented a certified plot plan at the continued hearing; the board added an explicit condition that the…