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Quincy Zoning Board of Appeals postpones decision on proposed single-family lot at 23 Wentalt Street
Summary
The ZBA postponed a variance and special permit for a proposed 4-bedroom house at the premises recorded as 23 Wentalt Street after board members raised concerns about lot size, 5-foot side setbacks and parking; the applicant agreed to resubmit a three-bedroom plan by March 5 for a March 24 hearing.
Vice Chair Russell Chan opened the hearing on petition CBA253, a variance and special permit application to subdivide a parcel and build a single-family dwelling at the premises identified in the record as 23 Wentalt Street.
An applicant representative described changes since the previous session — a reduced footprint of approximately 24 by 36 feet, removal of a first-floor bathroom and an upper floor layout showing three bedrooms and two full baths — but the plan as presented included four bedrooms. Owner Kevin Chen told the board the additional bedroom was intended for visiting family and that his elderly parents need a first-floor bedroom "so they don't have any bedroom on the 1st floor" during future care needs.
Several board members said the proposed four-bedroom house was too large for the 4,173-square-foot lot and that the plan's 5-foot side setbacks would leave inadequate separation between buildings. A written communication read into the record expressed opposition to the requested side setbacks and suggested an addition to the existing house or a detached accessory dwelling as an alternative.
Councilor Deborah Riley said the applicant made some revisions but remained concerned about the tight side setbacks. Board members raised parking as a key constraint, noting two tandem spaces would not reliably serve a four-bedroom dwelling and that approving an extra bedroom typically requires corresponding off-street parking.
The applicant agreed to explore a revised layout that reduces the home to three bedrooms, increases the right-side setback to about 7–7.5 feet and trims the footprint. The board set deadlines for resubmittal: revised plans must be filed by March 5 to appear on the March 24, 2026 agenda. Because the board did not have sufficient votes to approve the plan as submitted, an unnamed board member moved to postpone the petition to the March 24 hearing; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Note on record inconsistencies: the meeting record identifies the property early as 23 Wentalt Street; during the motion the transcript also references '23 Petal Street.' The record contains inconsistent spellings of that street name and one written communication includes a different spelling of the correspondent's surname (see audit).
