Board sends Lonsdale Main Place setback and deck variances to public hearing after TRC review

The Lincoln Planning Board voted to set a public hearing on Jan. 26 for a major modification to the Lonsdale Main Place project so the applicant can pursue dimensional variances related primarily to rear-deck setbacks on multiple units.

Planner Stephanie explained the unusual procedural path: the nine-unit project (three 3‑unit buildings with two parking spaces each) was administratively approved as a minor land development, then an applicant-applied zoning variance prompted staff and the Technical Review Committee (TRC) to recommend the matter come to the planning board as a modification to final plan approval. Stephanie said the applicant submitted revised plans the afternoon of the meeting showing building shifts to increase side setbacks and new architectural drawings for the rear decks.

Applicant counsel Beau Wakers of Brainske Levinson LLC described the requested relief as limited and driven by topography: "the relief here is the least necessary, to install these decks," he said, noting most units meet setback requirements and that the proposed decks are modest — roughly 4 by 8 feet. Wakers said the requested relief affects primarily Units 1–4.

Board members pressed staff and the town engineer on how height is measured. Stephanie and the engineer showed elevations indicating a front elevation around 30 feet and a rear elevation about 40 feet, producing an average of about 35 feet — the maximum allowed in the R G 7 zoning district. Stephanie recommended, and the building official suggested, a condition that as‑built heights be no greater than the 35‑foot limit so the town can withhold building permits if framing would exceed the zoning maximum.

Town engineer Brian Feldman also raised a site‑specific concern about runoff beneath elevated decks on steep slopes: deck boards concentrate rainwater and can prevent vegetation from establishing underneath, leading to depressions and water focused against foundations. Feldman asked to work with the project engineer and Mr. Akita on drainage or small yard drains to connect into the development’s drainage system.

The board agreed the plans should return to TRC in mid‑January for additional technical review; the board then voted to set a public hearing for Jan. 26 so the variances can be considered with full public notice.

Why it matters: The decision moves dimensional variance requests for rear-yard decks and height calculations into a public hearing process that could alter the scope or conditions of the approved nine-unit development. The board’s referral to TRC and the conditions staff described aim to protect neighbors from visual and drainage impacts and to ensure compliance with the 35‑foot zoning limit.

Next steps: Staff will bring the item back to the Technical Review Committee in January for additional detail, and the planning board will hold a public hearing on Jan. 26. The project team is expected to supply more precise elevation and framing details ahead of permitting.

Sources: presentation and exchange among Planner Stephanie, town engineer Brian Feldman, and applicant attorney Beau Wakers during the Lincoln Planning Board meeting.