Zoning board approves variances for 14-unit Spring Street housing project amid neighbor concerns about drainage and density

The Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals approved area variances to allow seven two-family structures (14 total units) on multiple parcels on Spring Street, the board was told at a public meeting.

The variances reduce lot-size and lot-width requirements in the R-2 zone so the developer can build units smaller than the 10,000-square-foot minimum lot and 70-foot minimum width required by Section 300-0306c of the zoning code, the board record shows. Applicants said the project is intended to create new supported housing units and that the number and size of units are tied to state funding requirements.

The board’s decision matters because the variances permit denser infill housing on small parcels and because residents urged the board to consider local drainage conditions, a natural spring on the site and the project’s compatibility with the neighborhood.

Architects and project representatives described the proposal as an infill approach the applicants believe fits the neighborhood better than a single apartment building and said funding rules require a minimum unit count. Tom Whitney, who…