Planning board approves three West End building permits; drainage condition added on two

The Long Beach Planning Board, acting in the capacity of the Architectural Review Board, voted to approve building permit applications for three West End properties — 31 Delaware Avenue, 15 Wyoming Avenue and 72 Ohio Avenue — during a regularly scheduled meeting. The board attached a drainage condition requiring permeable pavement or a dry well for 31 Delaware Avenue and 72 Ohio Avenue; 15 Wyoming Avenue was approved without a recorded condition.

The approvals were routine but included neighborhood-focused comments about stormwater. Applicants Barbara Ryan and John Ryan spoke for the 31 Delaware proposal; John Ryan told the board, “My father bought this house in 1957. We renovated it in 1996, and we winterized it. We've kind of outgrown it now, and we wanna take it down, and we wanna build a new house, which will be our permanent resident.” The Ryers said the existing house has not yet been demolished and they are awaiting the building permit before proceeding.

Board members also discussed on-site drainage for new construction. One member asked for a detail such as a dry well or gravel bed at the bottom of downspouts to reduce runoff entering the street. The board incorporated that concern into conditional approvals for 31 Delaware and 72 Ohio; members framed the requirement as a plan-level detail the applicant’s contractor or architect can add to permit submittals.

On 31 Delaware Avenue, Board member Clancy made the motion to approve with the drainage condition; Board member Spada seconded. The roll call recorded Clancy, Lucas, Patton, Spada and the chair as voting to approve; the application was approved with the condition stated on the record.

For the Wyoming Avenue application (listed in the record as 15 Wyoming Avenue), the board reviewed plans and materials and commented favorably on design details. No variances were noted for that lot during discussion. A motion to approve was made and seconded; the board approved the application by recorded vote. For the Ohio Avenue application (72 Ohio Avenue), the board discussed building height and curb-cut dimensions, asked for the same drainage condition applied elsewhere, and then approved the application by recorded vote after a motion by Clancy and a second by Patton.

The board’s approvals trigger the building department’s standard intake process. As one board member explained, the building department will be notified of the Architectural Review Board’s decisions and the applicants will submit the items required for new construction to the building department as part of the permit issuance process.

Votes at a glance

- 31 Delaware Avenue — Motion to approve with condition requiring on-site drainage detail (dry well/gravel bed or permeable surface); mover: Board member Clancy; seconder: Board member Spada; outcome: approved (unanimous among members recorded).

- 15 Wyoming Avenue — Motion to approve application; mover: Board member Clancy; seconder: Board member Lucas; outcome: approved (unanimous among members recorded).

- 72 Ohio Avenue — Motion to approve with condition requiring on-site drainage detail (same condition applied as for 31 Delaware); mover: Board member Clancy; seconder: Board member Patton; outcome: approved (unanimous among members recorded).

The board closed the meeting after the votes. Several members noted the West End projects are generally attractive additions to the street and reiterated that required permit submittals to the building department must include the items listed on the record.