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Zoning board allows dimensional parking relief at 9 Lee's Wharf for four‑bed guesthouse
Summary
The board granted a variance Dec. 23 allowing the owner of 9 Lee's Wharf to use five on‑site spaces (two technically non‑conforming in size) and to operate the property as a single rented unit rather than multiple room rentals; condition restricts rentals to a single party per stay.
The Zoning Board approved a dimensional parking modification for 9 Lee’s Wharf that lets the owner operate a four‑bedroom guest house while using five on‑site vehicle spaces that include two bays slightly under the code depth requirement. The owner said the three‑bay garage and an exterior space already function as the property’s parking, and the board heard evidence (photos and a traffic analysis) that vehicles can be accommodated without a material traffic impact to Lees Wharf.
Owner Mark Orabank explained the property’s layout and showed photographs of stacked parking in the western garage bay. Traffic consultant Todd Brayton testified the change from a two‑bedroom to a four‑bedroom guest house would increase daily trips only slightly (from about seven to 13), a negligible operational change for the low‑volume street. The board imposed a condition that the structure be rented to one party at a time (not as separate rooms) and voted unanimously to approve the dimensional relief.
“For the proposed guest house we do think the parking demand is 3 parking spaces based on the 4 rooms, which obviously is met on site,” the consultant testified. The board’s written decision will note the size relief for two spaces and require the owner to maintain the on‑site configuration described at hearing.
