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662 Vineyard LLC seeks to replace low‑lying guesthouse with elevated 900‑sq‑ft ADU; hearing continued
Summary
Engineer Reid Silva presented plans to remove a 315‑sq‑ft flood‑prone guesthouse at 662 Chappaquonsett Road and build a 900‑sq‑ft accessory dwelling unit elevated on helical piles with a proposed first‑floor elevation of about 16 feet; the commission continued the hearing to resolve dune classification and septic capacity questions.
Engineer Reid Silva presented a proposal for 662 Chappaquonsett Road (662 Vineyard LLC) to remove an existing at‑grade guesthouse with a first‑floor elevation of about 3.41 feet and replace it with a 900‑square‑foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) supported on helical piles and sited on a raised landform. The proposal calls for a proposed first‑floor elevation of approximately 16 feet and removal of the existing septic sump pump in favor of a gravity‑fed connection; landscaping behind the existing guesthouse would be removed and restored with native plantings.
The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program determined the project will not adversely affect state‑listed rare wildlife habitat and will not result in a prohibited Take. Commissioners pressed the applicant on the increase in floor area and whether the new plan constitutes a two‑bedroom unit that would raise septic loading; Mr. Silva said an interior wall could be removed to confirm a one‑bedroom layout pending Board of Health review. Mr. Silva also said DEP advised the project must meet the performance standards for a barrier beach and that dune classification should be resolved with sediment borings. Designer Nick Waldman said the new ADU would be consistent with the primary structure that was previously lifted, and contractor Joe Grillo noted the existing guesthouse has a long history of crawl‑space flooding and repeated sump pump failures due to saltwater corrosion.
Because dune classification and septic capacity remain unresolved, the commission voted to continue the hearing to the next scheduled meeting to allow the applicant to provide sediment boring data, confirm bedroom count with the Board of Health as needed, and propose equivalent mitigation for any expanded footprint. Motion to continue: John Best; second: Caroline Little; approved by voting members Thomas Robinson, John Best, Lilian Robinson, David Reed, Caroline Little and Sarah Toste.
Note: the meeting minutes did not include verbatim quotes; the account above is drawn from the commission's meeting record.
