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ZBA approves dormer additions at 139 Columbia Street to accommodate growing family
Summary
The Zoning Board granted a Section 6 finding allowing dormers that increase FAR and usable open space calculations to let a family add bedrooms and modernize a two-family at 139 Columbia St.
The Town of Brookline Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a finding under Section 6 permitting dormer additions at 139 Columbia Street that expand preexisting nonconformities.
Applicant counsel Jennifer Depazo Gilbert said the owners, Jeff Durr and Amy Huang, sought attic dormers to create roughly 1,310 square feet of additional living area (three bedrooms and two bathrooms), enabling multi-generational living with grandparents and an expanding family. The dormers will be clad in cedar and the project includes replacement of vinyl siding and other interior renovations. The usable open space would fall from 21% to 18% (requirement 30%), prompting the Section 6 finding request.
Planning staff and the Planning Board concluded the dormer additions are modest, not significantly detrimental to the neighborhood, and recommended approval subject to standard conditions: submission of final stamped plans and a landscaping plan. The building department advised it had no objection and will ensure code compliance. Board members agreed the proposal meets Section 6 and Section 9.05 standards and voted unanimously to grant the request, removing a recommended condition the applicant opposed as inapplicable to a Section 6 case.
