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Board continues Bayview Avenue renovation after members object to proposed garage size and height
Summary
Brandon and Christina Nato’s proposal to expand their Bayview Avenue home, including a large attached garage, was continued to Oct. 14 after board members said the 30-by-36-foot garage and its height are disproportionate to the neighborhood and asked the applicants to submit reduced plans.
The Quincy Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 9 continued a petition from homeowners Brandon and Christina Nato to Oct. 14 so the applicants can revise plans that include a two-story attached garage and several additions at 32 Bayview Ave.
The applicants presented a plan to expand their home, relocate and widen the driveway and construct a two-car garage with high ceilings designed to accommodate vehicle lifts and stackers. Architect and engineer representatives said the site’s steep topography and ledge constrained alternative locations for the garage and that the proposed garage also functions as storage for seasonal items currently kept under the existing rear deck.
Board members praised the overall renovation but repeatedly objected to the proposed garage’s scale. One board member said the garage, at 30 by 36 feet, was "big as a house" and asked the applicants to reduce its footprint and lower its height. Another member said the town’s lot size and the applicants’ nearly 18,000-square-foot property should allow a less intrusive garage location. Several board members suggested a smaller garage footprint in the 24-by-30 range or lowering the second-story storage/dormer to reduce the overall height.
Architect Samantha Cusick and homeowners described efforts to minimize disturbance, retain the existing dwelling rather than demolish it and reduce floodplain encroachment by making a rear porch a detached, pile-supported structure. The homeowners said the garage would also serve as storage and would allow the family to keep cars and jet skis sheltered.
The board set a deadline for revised plans: applicants were asked to submit updated drawings by Oct. 1 at 9 a.m.; the hearing was continued to Oct. 14 so the board can review the changes. The board’s continued discussion focused on reducing the garage height and dormer massing rather than opposing the overall renovation.
