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Planning Commission grants land-development waiver for carriage house at historic 1207 Orchard Road
Summary
Commissioners approved a waiver of land-development requirements for a carriage house at 1207 Orchard Road, finding minimal net impervious increase and redevelopment offsets; vote recorded 4–0–1 with Commissioner Rai recused.
Reading’s Planning Commission on May 27 approved a waiver of full land-development review for a proposed carriage-house outbuilding at 1207 Orchard Road, a historic Tudor-era property. The commission recorded the vote as 4–0–1 (one abstention/recusal).
Applicant Ben Curry of Berkey summarized the plan: the owners propose a carriage house/garage on an existing motor court to house equipment currently stored off-site. Ben and staff said the building would largely be placed over existing impervious surfaces, increasing total impervious coverage by roughly 24 square feet while removing a tennis court elsewhere on the site — a net decrease in impermeable area when accounted for. Jerome Skrinkowski said the project had received zoning relief and that, because the increase in impervious surface was minimal and the work constitutes redevelopment, the commission could consider a waiver of the typical land-development requirements.
Public Works’ Tim Kroll concurred that the minimal change to impervious area and the redevelopment characteristics supported the waiver, noting the carriage house would effectively redevelop existing paved area and that required erosion-and-sedimentation-control measures would still be required. Several commissioners raised historic-preservation and design points; applicant representatives said the carriage-house design will match the Bowman-era dwelling and that as-built drawings would be provided in exchange for a waiver.
Vice Chairman William Cinfisi noted Commissioner Peter Rai would recuse because of his role with the project; the record shows the waiver passed with three ayes, one recorded abstention, and no votes against. The commission instructed that erosion-control plans still be submitted and that the standard as-built plan requirement accompany the waiver.
The waiver clears a procedural hurdle for the project; applicants said they will provide as-built drawings and coordinate any remaining erosion-control and zoning permit items with staff.
