Planning board grants two-lot subdivision and dimensional variance for Lake Road property

The Tiverton Planning Board on Thursday approved a two-lot preliminary minor subdivision for property at 0 Lake Road and granted a dimensional variance allowing Lot B to be narrower than the 200-foot width requirement measured at the 50-foot setback, subject to conditions.

Attorney Court Chapelle, representing Amanda Pimentel and co-applicant Sarah Borges, told the board the parcel is approximately 9.2 acres with no mapped wetlands and that both proposed lots will exceed the ordinance's minimum 120,000-square-foot lot-area requirement. Chapelle said a recent Class 1-style survey shows the property is shaped so that the required 200-foot width exists farther back on Lot B; the applicants offered a condition that any house on Lot B be sited at least 50 feet behind the point where the lot attains the 200-foot width to preserve side-yard spacing and neighborhood character.

Chapelle and Ms. Pimentel answered standard unified-development-review and variance criteria: the lot's irregular shape creates the unique hardship, both lots will meet area and setback requirements, and the division should not alter neighborhood character or have significant environmental impacts. No members of the public spoke in opposition; one neighbor filed a supportive email.

The board voted unanimously to grant the dimensional variance (113.56 feet of relief) and then approved the minor subdivision preliminary plan with conditions: the applicants must obtain required state and local permits and include OWTS documentation where applicable, install and certify boundary monumentation, ensure that final plans carry correct title-block references (Barbosa Family Trust / current ownership), and complete final plan filing within the one-year statutory time frame or seek extension. The approval includes standard findings of fact in support of the subdivision.