Wellfleet ZBA grants special permit for screened porch at 70 Freeman Ave

The Wellfleet Zoning Board of Appeals on July 9 granted a special permit allowing a screened porch to be added to a preexisting nonconforming dwelling at 70 Freeman Avenue.

The board’s chair (speaker 2) summarized the site’s nonconformities and read the board’s findings before the vote. The lot, according to the assessor, was built in 1952 and has a lot area of 11,761 square feet where 30,000 is required; front setback intrusion is 26.2 feet (30 required); east side setback intrusion is 6.5 feet (25 required); west side intrusion is 20.8 feet (25 required); and front frontage is 85 feet where 130 feet is required. The chair also reported that lot coverage would increase from 8.7% to 10.6%, remaining under the 15% limit, and that there were no letters or appearances in opposition.

Luke Manning, the applicant’s representative, described the proposal as a modest screened porch positioned toward the rear of the property and said it would be partially in the side setback but not prominently visible from Freeman Avenue because of existing vegetation. “What we were proposing was to build the screen porch, falling in line with the rest of the house, not pushing much further over towards the side setback,” Manning said in his presentation.

Board members asked technical questions about which faces were in setback, plans for a deteriorated retaining wall, and whether engineered construction would be necessary. Manning responded that the team expects to regrade some of the existing slope and, if needed, install a poured concrete footing with a boulder wall but hopes to remain under a 4-foot retaining wall limit without engineered design.

After discussing the criteria in Wellfleet Zoning Bylaw §235-8.4(b) — including neighborhood impact, public services, environmental sensitivity, and whether the alteration would be more detrimental to the neighborhood — the board found the addition would not be substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood than the existing nonconforming structure and that the benefits of the proposal outweighed any adverse effects. A motion to accept the findings and grant the special permit passed unanimously (four ayes recorded).

The board completed standard post-approval logistics, confirming the applicants will receive a stamped copy of the site plan and elevations. The chair noted staff would stamp the approved plans and the applicant thanked the board.