Zoning board approves Boho Properties guest house with parking waiver and annual lease conditions

The Newport Zoning Board on Dec. 15 voted 5-0 to approve Boho Properties LLC’s application to convert 604 Thames Street (also listed as 4 Dixon Street) into a five-bedroom guest house and to waive one required on-site parking space, imposing conditions intended to limit neighborhood impact.

Attorney David Martland told the board that a technical conflict in the zoning code effectively double-counted the on-site manager’s parking requirement and that, under the staff analysis, the net new parking requirement equals one space. Owner Matthew Goldsmith said the property currently has limited use and that the proposal would provide year‑round on‑site management while supplying seasonal housing for employees.

The board attached three conditions to its approval: one space in the property’s two‑car garage must be dedicated to the on-site manager; the applicant must secure a leased parking space within a half‑mile and provide an annual copy of that lease to the zoning office to maintain the variance; and the manager-unit lease must be provided to the zoning office annually. The conditions were proposed and discussed on the record after multiple members raised concerns about neighborhood parking and turnover.

Goldsmith acknowledged neighbors’ objections in submitted letters but said the owner has historically housed employees on-site in summer months and that an on-site manager would better control noise or other problems than the property’s prior retail use. “I think having somebody living there full time on-site takes care of a lot of the issues that may come,” Goldsmith said during testimony.

Board members cited the building’s age, small lot size and the constraints of the limited-business district in finding a practical hardship and concluded the requested waiver was the minimum relief necessary. Vice Chair Dave Riley said the conditions — particularly the leased parking provision — provided “belt and suspenders” protection for neighbors. The board’s vote closed the public hearing and directed staff to draft the formal decision.

The approval requires the project to be started and substantially completed within 12 months or the applicant must seek an extension from the zoning officer. The board also required payment of outstanding public-noticing invoices as a condition of recording the decision.

The board’s action follows extended questioning about how the guest house would be operated in summer and winter, whether the owner planned to sell the property, and whether the manager role would be adequate to oversee short‑term rentals. The applicant said the manager would be a full‑time employee and that the owner had procured an off‑site leased parking space in case the board required it.