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Planning board approves variance and preliminary subdivision for 0 and 6 Lucas Ave
Summary
The planning board granted a dimensional-variance for lot coverage and approved the preliminary subdivision to merge 0 and 6 Lucas Ave after hearing from the applicants, their architect and an appraiser; the board cited FEMA flood-zone constraints and neighborhood lot-coverage context in its findings.
The Newport Planning Board voted to grant a dimensional variance and approve a preliminary subdivision that will merge 0 and 6 Lucas Ave into a single lot for a new single-family primary residence.
Applicant testimony said the properties were purchased in January 2024 and that the owners intend to use the new lot as their primary home. The applicant told the board their work-from-home schedules and the need to accommodate visiting children shaped the design. "We purchased them in January '24," the applicant said, explaining why the family moved forward quickly on the project.
Architect Greg Yulonis described the site constraints, including that the lots sit within the FEMA AE flood hazard zone and therefore cannot include basements. He said the design seeks to keep the first floor “as close to the ground as possible” while meeting flood-elevation requirements and providing limited first-floor storage. "We wanted to keep the 1st Floor as close to the ground as possible," Yulonis testified, explaining tradeoffs between storage and exterior scale.
Real-estate appraiser Jim Bull presented a neighborhood lot-coverage analysis showing an average lot coverage near 39.4% for comparable lots and argued the merged parcel would be more consistent with surrounding properties. The board considered the §17.108 variance factors, including hardship from undersized lots and FEMA-driven constraints, and concluded the applicants met the burden for the variance. The board approved the variance contingent on final subdivision plan approval and then made positive findings under RIGL 45-23-60 to advance the preliminary subdivision.
The board also accepted the staff report as findings of fact before voting. Public comment included a resident who voiced support for the proposed house. The approvals were procedural votes taken by the planning board at the March meeting; the board did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript beyond the motion and the chair’s announcement that "The ayes have it."
