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Board grants front‑setback variance for Coastal Square outparcel after permitting history review
Summary
The Board approved a variance allowing a 25‑foot front setback for an outparcel building in the Coastal Square development, after testimony documented years of plan approvals and a late interpretation of the US Route 50 transportation plan affecting required collector setbacks.
The Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals on April 10 approved a variance to allow a 25‑foot front‑yard setback for an outparcel building in the Coastal Square development instead of a 50‑foot setback that staff later tied to the US Route 50 Transportation Plan.
Applicant representatives said the project has been under design and review since about 2021, including subdivision and stormwater approvals, technical reviews, and State Highway Administration permits. Engineers and surveyors testified the plan consistently showed a 25‑foot setback throughout multiple submittals, approvals and state permits. They said a recent staff communication citing the Route 50 transportation plan’s collector‑highway setbacks came near the point when the developer was ready to pull building permits and begin construction.
Witnesses described the parcel as one of only five C‑3 properties adjacent to Samuel Bowen Boulevard (the service road) and said the lot’s unique configuration, the service‑road design, and long history of approvals that reflected a 25‑foot front yard created a hardship if the new 50‑foot interpretation were applied at this late stage. The applicant told the board the developer has invested significant time and money in design and approvals and that redesigning would materially delay the project and require rework of stormwater and building plans.
After discussion about the transportation plan’s status and the county’s process for codifying collector designations, the board voted to grant the variance. The board recorded no opposition at the hearing. Staff indicated the county will incorporate clarifications to the collector high‑way list in future code updates.
