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Emma Willard plan for 12 faculty townhomes cleared with setback and EV-waiver conditions
Summary
The board approved area variances for faculty housing at Emma Willard School (PLZBA 20250022), allowing deeply set-back townhomes to face a campus drive rather than Pauling Ave and granting a waiver of required EV charger spaces given on-campus charging and intended resident use.
The Planning/Zoning Board approved an area-variance package permitting construction of 12 faculty townhomes on the Emma Willard School campus (PLZBA 20250022). The board accepted the applicant’s argument that the units are substantially set back from Pauling Avenue — roughly 1,500–2,000 feet back on a private campus drive — and that the houses should face the internal campus drive rather than Pauling Avenue, the address used for zoning calculations.
Representatives from Consigli Construction and SWBR Architecture said the proposed four buildings (three units each) will occupy the northeastern portion of campus adjacent to existing faculty housing, and that the campus is a distinct internal environment. The applicants requested relief from the front-yard/setback rules and sought a waiver from the municipal requirement to install two EV chargers on-site. They said existing campus EV chargers and the short local travel patterns for faculty make on-site chargers duplicative for the intended residents.
Board members asked about unit sizes and parking. The applicants replied the project includes 25 off-street spaces and a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom townhomes designed for faculty occupancy; they reiterated that the campus already provides charging infrastructure.
Outcome: The board found the application consistent with the character of the campus and approved the requested front-setback variance and the EV-charger waiver by roll call. Members noted the campus context and the applicant’s commitment to provide on-site parking and use of existing campus chargers.
