Zoning board approves raising and reconstruction at 107 Glades Road in floodplain

The Scituate Zoning Board of Appeals on June 18 approved a finding and special permit for Michael and Elizabeth Walsh to raise and reconstruct the single‑family dwelling at 107 Glades Road.

Paul Seaberg of Grady Consulting, representing the applicants, said the lot (about 4,067 sq ft) and house are nonconforming — front setback 6.4 ft (30 ft required) and left side setback 3.7 ft (8 ft required) — and that the plan is to raise the dwelling on a timber pile foundation to meet flood elevations while keeping the same footprint and not intensifying nonconformities. "The project will maintain the existing nonconforming front and left side setback and will not create or intensify any existing nonconformities," Seaberg told the board.

Board members noted the project must proceed through the Conservation Commission and that there will be construction restrictions, including prohibitions on enclosure beneath the elevated house and fire‑rating requirements for exterior walls within 5 feet of property lines. Michael Wall, the contractor for the Walshes, said the work began as a renovation but structural conditions required rebuilding; he emphasized the replacement would preserve the house's footprint and character.

A motion finding the structure nonconforming in the listed dimensions and granting the special permit under the cited bylaw sections was seconded and carried by voice vote.

Why it matters: the decision permits elevation of a vulnerable coastal property to reduce flood risk while preserving the existing nonconforming siting; Conservation Commission and building‑code conditions will govern final design and permitted work.

Next steps: Conservation Commission review and typical building‑permit conditions (no enclosure under platform, compliance with fire‑rating and openings rules) will be required before work begins.