The Malden Zoning Board of Appeals on Nov. 19 conditionally approved petition 25-013, allowing an accessible, single-story first-floor addition at 38 Floral Ave designed to serve the homeowner, Mr. Collins, provided the applicant submits revised permit-ready plans that remove the proposed rear deck and show a patio with a ramp.

The project, presented by designer and builder Razi Okevara of Just Draw It / Just Build It, calls for a one-story accessible addition with a bedroom, bathroom and living area and a new bulkhead for basement egress. Okevara told the board the addition is intended “basically an accessible addition for the homeowners, mister Collins,” and that the lot is nonconforming, which leads to the need for variances.

Board members and the applicant focused on which parts of the proposal were essential to meet accessibility needs and which increased the amount of relief required. Several members said a bedroom and bathroom to enable reasonable wheelchair access are necessary, while the proposed family room was characterized by multiple members as nonessential and a driver of additional lot-coverage variances. The board noted the project as filed was roughly 5 percent over the lot-coverage limit and that the deck and bulkhead contributed to that overage.

Neighbor Mark Belanger of 42 Floral Ave spoke during public comment, saying he was not opposed to the addition but urging the board to consider the cumulative impact of concurrent construction on street parking and staging. Belanger cited trucks blocking sidewalks and driveways and said multiple active jobs could complicate access for neighbors and emergency vehicles.

Nelson, the building inspector, advised the board that patios are not considered structures under Malden zoning and therefore do not create the same setback issues as decks or bulkheads. He also said staff could work from the existing drawing set to produce the permit plans if the board explicitly disallows the deck in its decision.

On a motion by board member John King, seconded by Bilgan, the ZBA voted unanimously to grant petition 25-013 pending the applicant’s submission of plans to the building department that show the addition without the deck and with a patio and ramp. The decision will be issued after the revised plans are received and become part of the permit record.