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Board recommends waiver and favorable action for 24 Vine Street sunroom and setback expansion
Summary
Winchester’s Planning Board unanimously recommended waiving site-plan review and recommended favorable action on a special permit for a small sunroom that increases a nonconforming setback at 24 Vine Street; applicants said the neighboring church supports the plan and will address runoff.
Owners of 24 Vine Street presented a modest sunroom addition and interior improvements that increase their unit’s square footage and enlarge an existing setback encroachment by roughly 3 feet. The Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend waiving site-plan review and to recommend favorable action on the special permit to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Applicants told the board the addition is primarily infill to an existing deck area, will add a second bathroom on the second floor and create a raised stone patio to replace an uneven, tripping-prone patio. They said the Congregational Church next door supports the project and that runoff concerns will be mitigated; because the proposed addition is under 500 square feet (about 384 sq ft), formal engineering-level stormwater review was not triggered, but the board’s planner urged the applicants to consult engineering for sensible mitigation ideas.
Board members debated whether the change materially increases nonconformity. Several members said the addition largely extends the existing line of the building rather than projecting toward the property line, and with neighbor support they were comfortable recommending approval. The planning board’s recommendation will be included in the ZBA packet for the petitioners’ July hearing.
