Zoning board approves special permit for addition at 62 Crest Street

The Concord Zoning Board of Appeals on March 26 approved a special permit allowing a roughly 400–435 sq ft net overage to a single‑family house at 62 Crest Street, the board said, to bring the home up to modern code and accommodate a growing family.

The application, presented by Derek Coulter of Coulter Construction on behalf of owners Corey and Dana Donovan, asked for relief under zoning bylaw sections 7.1.5 and 11.6 to construct an addition and raise portions of the roof. Architect Stephen Cassettini described the work as mostly a second‑floor insertion over a one‑story area that must be removed for structural reasons, plus a “saddlebag” addition to house plumbing and two new bathrooms. Coulter said the family recently expanded and ‘‘they have decided to settle in Concord for their forever home,’’ and that the work aims to improve safety and livability.

Board members questioned whether side‑yard setbacks would be exceeded. Building Commissioner Kevin Pickering explained the applicable side‑yard exception (the transcript calls it a ‘‘borrow rule’’), noting single‑story portions under 15 feet may use a three‑foot allowance and that the project, as presented, meets the cited requirements. Coulter and the architect said the proposed elevations, materials (board and batten, clapboards, asphalt shingles and standing‑seam metal on low‑slope roofs), and landscaping are intended to match neighborhood character.

The chair opened the public comment period and, seeing no speakers, closed it; Coulter said he and the homeowners had introduced themselves to neighbors before the hearing and reported positive feedback. In discussion, board members called the addition a modest way to bring the small, older house up to modern standards without substantially altering neighborhood scale.

A motion to grant the special permit under zoning bylaw sections 7.1.5 and 11.6 was made, seconded and approved with standard conditions; affirmative votes were recorded on the roll call in the transcript. The applicant thanked the board.

Notes on transcript inconsistencies: the record includes multiple, inconsistent square‑foot figures (the initial oral description in the transcript said a 1,809 sq ft addition to a 1,309 sq ft house; the motion text later records a 1,089.6 sq ft addition to a 1,309.13 sq ft dwelling and the architect cited 435 sq ft over the 50% restriction). Applicant and board should confirm the final, recorded project figures in the file and on the plan set before building permits are issued.

The board approved the application with standard conditions; the project will proceed to any required permitting steps.