Littleton ZBA continues King Street two‑family conversion hearing to allow town counsel review

The Littleton Zoning Board of Appeals on July 16 continued a hearing on a petition to convert a single‑family dwelling on King Street to a two‑family residence, giving town counsel time to propose conditional language addressing concerns about future subdivision or condominium creation on the broader parcel.

Contractor Joe Cataldo, representing the owner, presented the conversion plan and said the building predates zoning (the bylaw requires buildings to be in existence before March 5, 1951, to qualify). Owner Dwight Long described his long‑term interest in preserving the property and said he plans to keep open space at the back of the parcel. Cataldo described structural work, possible reuse of old beams and granite posts, and said the team had already engaged a peer review process for related planning‑board items.

Several board members said the house itself appears appropriate for conversion but expressed concerns about other structures on the larger parcel and the potential for multiple residences without clear oversight. The chair reported he had spoken with town counsel Tom Harrington, who recommended the board continue the hearing so counsel could prepare conditional language intended to address the board’s long‑term concerns while not preventing lawful planning‑board processes.

After debate, the board voted to continue the hearing to the ZBA’s next meeting on August 20 to allow counsel to review the record and propose conditions. One member registered opposition to continuing, saying the board had enough information to decide, but a majority supported the continuance. The board closed the meeting for the night following the vote.