The Brockton zoning board denied a petition to permit construction of a single-family home on Plot 6 (formerly 55 May Avenue), citing strong neighborhood opposition over drainage and insufficient proof the lot meets the legal test for a variance.

Attorney Speaker 6 for petitioner Stephen Tory/Torrey described Plot 6 as a 7,715-square-foot lot that "fits" neighboring lots and argued hardship due to its unusual shape and fronting situation. The board pressed counsel for a separate deed and documentation; staff noted much of the deed record through the 20th century described the area as a single parcel. The board said municipal records submitted by the petitioner did not substitute for a deed showing the lot as separately recorded.

Multiple abutters testified in opposition. David Regan, of 16 Homestead Street, called the hardship self-created, noting the purchaser should have known the zoning and that adding a house would change the narrow, dead-end street’s character. John Holzman, 25 Homestead Street, described long-term stormwater issues and warned that placing another foundation on the slope would worsen water intrusion and groundwater problems.

The board highlighted the letters of opposition on file and said they were persuaded by the combination of unresolved deed documentation and the neighborhood’s drainage concerns. On a motion to grant, the clerk recorded five 'No' votes and the petition was denied (0–5).