Royal Oak board postpones renovation variances for Arlington Avenue property

The Zoning Board considered variances for a proposed renovation at 4447 Arlington Avenue that would have added an attached three-car garage exceeding the 800-square-foot accessory-structure cap and pushed the garage to more than 50% of the primary facade. Staff said the proposed garage measured about 851 square feet and the front-facing garage width was calculated at 54.7% of the facade, triggering two variances; the applicant also sought a rear-porch setback waiver of approximately 2.4 feet (staff presentation, SEG 1298–1314; 1316–1329).

The petitioner, Brian of Trademark Construction (speaker 4), said he is the owner and lives in the neighborhood and that the design seeks to keep the existing foundation while improving the house. Commissioners suggested modest tweaks—shaving roughly 3.25 feet of garage width, reducing porch depth, or redesigning the garage bays—that might eliminate one or more variance requests. Given that guidance, the petitioner asked to postpone to revise plans. Commissioner Eddy (speaker 14) moved to postpone for one month; the motion carried by voice vote (motion and vote, SEG 1875–1909).