Zoning board hears request to expand garage and front entry at 17 Pleasant View Ave

The Beacon Zoning Board of Appeals heard an application April 21 for an area-variance at 17 Pleasant View Avenue, where the owners propose two small additions—about 200 square feet to enlarge a narrow garage and another roughly 200 square feet at the front—to allow for a standard-size car and a compact mudroom. "We're proposing two very small additions to the garage and then the front," said Annie Menace of Garrison Foundry Architects, who presented the plans on behalf of the owners and said the goal was to keep the house "modest" and in character with the neighborhood.

Board members pressed the applicant on dimensions, alternatives and neighborhood impacts. The site survey shows a current side-yard setback of about 14.8 feet; the applicants' plan table listed 14 feet. Menace said the design team would "double check that math and confirm with the survey." The applicant and board also discussed options such as building farther to the rear or flipping the garage, and Menace said those alternatives were cost‑prohibitive or would reduce privacy for neighbors.

Neighbors spoke at the podium and via emailed comments. Teresa Cesserini, who said she lives across the street, urged denial because of construction disruption and increased traffic: "The variance, we hope, is denied because there will be so much traffic on the road," she said. The applicants told the board they were open to planting and screening to address privacy concerns. The board asked the applicants to return with corrected site dimensions, an aerial showing context, and screening details; the chair explained that the submission deadline for the next meeting is April 28 and that changes to the requested setback could require renotification.