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ADR advises caution on Morrison Road FAR increase; supports enclosing carport if design is lowered
Summary
Members told owners of 8 Morrison Road that enclosing the carport as a garage is acceptable in principle but cautioned that a request to increase FAR for an enclosed walkway is unlikely to pass at town council and could set a precedent; staff said the variance would add about 118 sq ft while some members later referred to roughly 180 sq ft.
At the conceptual review for 8 Morrison Road, presenters proposed enclosing an existing carport into a garage and adding a short hallway to connect the garage to the house. Presenter (S8) said the scope is "just enclosing that carport... so existing is, open carport with a covered hallway" and that the change maintains the existing footprint while raising the low ceiling to modern standards.
Staff explained the project will require a FAR variance and stated "They're really just requesting a variance to the FAR, and it's gonna be a 118 square feet to enclose that walkway." ADR members debated whether that small new area would create an undesirable precedent: some supported the hallway as benign and mostly unseen from public view, while others said the proportional increase in FAR (members later cited roughly 180 sq ft) makes finding a unique hardship difficult. One member summarized the concern: "It's usually not granted... they normally would not do that unless there was some hardship that was unique."
Design concerns focused on the revised garage roof height. Several members suggested lowering the proposed roof line or matching the main house slope to reduce a dominant new volume. Presenters said the taller form was chosen for construction and waterproofing reasons but agreed to explore lower options. The homeowner (David, online) said engineers are evaluating driveway changes to improve safety.
When polled, most members agreed the carport could be enclosed as a garage provided the design reads lower from the street; the group generally discouraged pursuing an FAR variance for the enclosed hallway because town council precedent and code history make approval unlikely.
