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Newport board allows Pereira to rent four bedrooms at 3 Goodwin St., but limits variance to current owner
Summary
The zoning board unanimously granted Linda Pereira a dimensional variance enabling four rentable bedrooms at 3 Goodwin St. but attached a condition that the variance 'sunset' (terminate) if the property is sold; the board required the project to start and be substantially complete within 12 months.
The Newport Zoning Board voted unanimously Aug. 25 to grant Linda Pereira a dimensional variance and special‑use relief allowing a two‑bedroom guest house at 3 Goodwin St. to operate with four rentable bedrooms, subject to conditions intended to limit long‑term commercialization. Vice Chair Dave Riley moved the motion and the board added a condition that “this dimensional variance will sunset when the property is sold,” while also requiring the project to start and reach substantial completion within 12 months and that public‑notice invoices be paid before recording.
Attorney Michael Monti argued the lot’s undersize (about 2,500 sq. ft.) and the existing alley driveway that accommodates two 9×18 spaces create a unique hardship, and he emphasized the applicant’s record of responsible management and neighborhood support. Pereira testified she rents primarily to families, advertises two on‑site parking spaces and locks off rooms when not permitted. Board members debated whether to require leased off‑site parking or a sunset provision; the board favored the sunset clause as a way to protect neighborhood character if the property were sold to an operator with different management practices.
