The Southborough Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously on Nov. 19 to approve a special permit for an addition at 32 Central Street.

Owner Lord Val Santos told the board he wants to build a roughly 200-square-foot room atop an existing first-floor living room. Santos said the proposal keeps the house footprint unchanged. "I would like to build on top of existing room... It's about a 200 square feet, addition," he told the board during the public hearing.

Board members asked whether the work would create additional setback or height nonconformities. The applicant and members agreed the footprint would not expand and the work would not exceed height restrictions. One member summarized that the proposal "is not adding to the nonconformity" and said it would remain consistent with the neighborhood.

After brief public comment and questions, the board closed the hearing and moved to grant the relief as requested. The motion to approve the special permit carried with all members present voting aye.

A board member noted a recent Land Court remand of a zoning decision in another municipality and urged that the written decision include explicit findings, including that the change would not be "more detrimental to the community." The board said staff will prepare a decision with those findings and the usual appeal period will follow.