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Board grants variance for two‑car garage at undersized lot on Glen Echo Shore Drive; neighbor warns of runoff
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance allowing a 24x24 two‑car garage on an undersized 4,500 sq ft lot at 86 Glen Echo Shore Drive, limiting the use as a garage with minimal storage. A nearby resident raised extended concerns that paving and the garage would increase stormwater runoff into their yard and foundation.
Arthur R. North and Lori P. North appeared before the board seeking a variance and special permit to construct a 24 by 24 two‑car garage on a 4,500‑square‑foot lot at 86 Glen Echo Shore Drive. "We're looking to build a 24 square garage," Arthur North told the board, confirming the plan showed a two‑car garage with storage above but no living space.
Building commissioner Kurt Mascus described the lot history, saying many lakeside parcels were platted as narrow 30‑foot strips in the mid‑20th century and that prior permitting and lot‑line practices have produced a mix of cottages and year‑round houses. He noted the applicant's parcel totals approximately 4,500 square feet and therefore does not meet the R‑40 lot minimum of 5,000 square feet and 50 feet of frontage by right.
The board received a letter of support from nearby property owners Richard and Don Rand. During public comment, a neighboring resident at 84 Glen Echo Shore described recurring water‑intrusion problems and argued that building a garage with paving could reduce on‑site absorption and send more runoff to their property: "If the garage gets built, . . . then you're going to have asphalt. . . I'm going to get a ton of water," the resident said, describing a history of foundation damage and retaining‑wall repairs.
Board members debated whether to treat the proposed building as an accessory structure or a primary use because the lot is separate and across the street from the applicant's main residence. Members discussed limiting language and conditions so the relief would run with the land only for the stated garage use and to restrict conversion to habitable space without further review. The board's recommended motion described the relief as variance of the lot area and frontage to permit construction of the presented two‑car garage with minimal attic storage and specified that the hardship included topography and undersized lot conditions.
A motion to grant the variance and limit the use to the two‑car garage shown on the plan carried unanimously. The board noted the variance will be filed with the town clerk, is subject to a 20‑day appeal period, and must be recorded at the Registry of Deeds in Worcester before permits can be issued. The board also reminded the applicants to pursue any applicable stormwater or conservation approvals as separate processes.
