Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Residential Setback topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Zoning board approves attached garage and upstairs bedroom for Nashua homeowners
Summary
The Nashua Zoning Board of Adjustment approved an area variance allowing Reuben and Lena Gomez to attach and enlarge an existing garage at 262 Lake Street, keeping a 6-foot encroachment into a 10-foot side-yard setback; applicant cited need for upstairs living space for an elderly family member.
The Nashua Zoning Board of Adjustment on Aug. 13 approved an area variance for Reuben and Lena Gomez to replace a detached 14-by-21-foot garage with an attached 18-by-30-foot garage that includes living space above at 262 Lake Street.
The board read the application into the record and heard from applicant Lena Gomez, who said the project would keep the existing garage footprint — encroaching 6 feet into the required 10-foot side-yard setback — and add a second-floor bedroom and bathroom so her mother, who currently lives in the basement, can have a warmer living space. "My mom has been living with us since my dad passed away, but she's been staying with us in the basement and it's kinda cold in there," Gomez said.
Board members and the applicant said neighboring homeowners had been consulted and reported no opposition. The chair found the hardship stemmed from the preexisting structure and that the applicant was not requesting additional encroachment. A motion to approve the variance, citing the five variance criteria in the Land Use Code, passed 4–0 with a second by Andrew Sylvia.
The decision is subject to a 30-day window for filing an appeal with the planning department; the chair noted rehearing and Superior Court appeal routes under city and state procedures.
