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Zoning board approves large driveway expansion for Auburn Street homeowners
Summary
A unanimous 5–0 vote approved a variance Sept. 24 allowing Andrew and Alyssa McQuade to expand a mostly informal parking area at 23 Auburn Street to a paved 49.5-foot driveway to address safety, deterioration and parking constraints; board noted no setback for driveways and required preservation of a grass strip between properties.
The Nashua Zoning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously on Sept. 24 to grant a variance allowing Andrew and Alyssa McQuade to widen the driveway at 23 Auburn Street from an existing roughly 23-foot width to 49.5 feet.
Andrew McQuade said the current concrete pad in front of the garage is deteriorated and granite edging and leftover slabs from a previous garage create hazards in winter. "It's a big mud pit" in spring and winter, he said, and the proposed asphalt with granite borders is designed to reduce debris and provide safer access for an older family member.
Neighbor Eric McNamara, who lives at 2 Highland Place, asked whether the new pavement would reach his property line; the board clarified there is no side-yard setback for driveways and that the applicant intends to leave a grass strip between properties and stop paving at the existing shed line.
Board discussion focused on site constraints, nearby parking patterns and the narrow geometry of Highland Place. Members concluded the request met variance criteria because grade, house placement and limited alternatives made the variance reasonable.
A motion to approve carried unanimously, 5–0. The chair reiterated that approved applicants have a 30-day window for appeals before any irreversible work should proceed.
Next steps: planning staff advised the applicants on contact points for inspections and to verify exact paving limits.
