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ZBA denies variance to add fourth garage bay at 29 Grama Terrace
Summary
The Zoning Board denied a variance request to convert an existing 289-square-foot storage space into a fourth garage bay at 29 Grama Terrace after members concluded the application did not demonstrate the statutory hardship required for a variance.
On July 28 the Braintree Zoning Board of Appeals denied a petition to convert a 289-square-foot storage area into a fourth garage space at 29 Grama Terrace.
The legal notice identified the applicant as Ahmed Sarwat; a speaker at the hearing identified herself as Yamna of 29 Grama Terrace and said the conversion would serve a growing family. The application sought a variance (Ch. 135 §407, §102 and §603) because the bylaws limit attached garages to three spaces per lot.
Board members probed whether a statutory hardship related to the lot’s shape, soil or topography existed. Member Angela Kavanaugh noted that variances require a showing of substantial hardship tied to the parcel; several members expressed concern about setting precedent if the board granted a variance based on convenience. The board invited the applicant to withdraw if she wished to avoid a denial, but the applicant declined and asked the board to vote.
A motion to approve the variance was made and seconded, but the board recorded opposition and ultimately denied the variance. Counsel reminded the board that a denied variance cannot be resubmitted for two years unless materially different.
Outcome: Denial. The board recorded that the application did not meet the statutory standard for a variance. The record includes a letter of support for the applicant from a neighbor, but board members said the paperwork did not demonstrate the required hardship.
