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Homeowner tells ZBA she needs relief after discovering permits; board grants variance with conditions
Summary
Lauren Galeser told the board her driveway and permit history date to renovations in 2007 and that a recent survey found the driveway’s widest point is 30 feet 8 inches where the code allows 30 feet; the ZBA granted the application with conditions, including required approvals and a 12‑month start window.
Lauren Galeser, the homeowner at 54 Inverness Road, told the Zoning Board she and her husband bought the house in 2002, renovated in 2007 and only discovered during permitting review in November 2025 that the property had not been issued a certificate of occupancy because several permits were attached to an adjacent lot. She said an as‑built survey shows the driveway’s widest point measures about 30 feet 8 inches, while the ordinance allows a maximum width of 30 feet.
Galeser said the prior curb cut is original and noted the family’s intent to sell the house; she described having no neighbor complaints during years of occupancy. Board members asked technical questions about the location of the widest point, existing drains near the curve and whether the curb cut had changed. Members also reviewed precedent for temporary variances granted previously for documented hardships.
The board moved to grant the application (case ZBA 2603) on condition that the applicant obtain all required approvals and file them with the building department, and that construction begin no later than 12 months after the last required approval. The motion required the work to conform to the as‑built survey dated 12/05/2025 (last revised 12/12/2025; stamp received 01/13/2026) or to any later approved modifications. The board said the findings will be posted as part of the record.
Galeser told the board she had attempted to resolve the permitting issue immediately after discovery and that contractors and architects involved with the 2007 work were retired; she provided surveys and documentation to the board during the hearing.
