The Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals met on February 20, 2020, to handle officer elections, continuances, and several variance and special permit applications. As an initial administrative matter, the board unanimously re-elected David Assad as Chair, Carolyn Maret as Vice Chair, and James Calkins as Clerk for 2020. Several petitions were continued to the March 19, 2020 meeting, including requests by Ian Carey for 60 Gidley Street and two petitions represented by Attorney Gloria Pacheco for Grinnell Street and 1172-1174 Bedford Street, while a matter involving Weaver’s Cove Industrial Park LLC was withdrawn following a Land Court stipulation of dismissal.
The board heard and approved an amended petition by ASE Investments LLC to construct a 16-unit townhouse development on an interior 68,000-square-foot lot at 69R Alden Street (the former Parker Candy site), granting a frontage variance and a special permit with conditions for site plan review. The board also approved a two-lot subdivision variance for the Estate of Edward Amorin at 320 Renard Street with specific parking and no-further-subdivision conditions, a side setback variance for Michaela and Steven Guzy to construct an addition at 55 Weetamoe Street, and a special permit for Divine Properties LLC to re-establish a first-floor real estate office at 284-288 Broadway.
Finally, the board reviewed a petition from Farmington Limited Partnership regarding The Landmark assisted living facility at 400 Columbia Street, which sought variances and special permit relief to build a two-story, 33-unit addition primarily for memory care. Following an extensive discussion regarding parking capacity, employee shifts, and unstriped rear spaces, the board voted to continue the hearing to March 19, 2020, directing the applicant to coordinate with Planning Director William Roth and submit a detailed parking plan. The meeting concluded after approving past meeting minutes.
Topics discussed
- 5:40 · Board Officer Elections — approved
Annual reorganization to elect board Chair, Vice Chair, and Clerk pursuant to board rules and the city charter. - 6:28 · Continuances for Agenda Items 3, 6, and 7 — approved
Chair Assad noted his need to recuse from items 3, 6, and 7, and the board voted to continue all three items to March 19, 2020. - 7:45 · 55 Weetamoe Street Addition — passed
Request for side yard setback relief from 15 feet down to 9.5 feet (building) and 5.6 feet (stairs) to expand a kitchen and add a bedroom. - 10:03 · 69R Alden Street Townhouse Development — approved
Dan Aguiar presented a 16-unit residential townhouse proposal with 36 parking spaces, addressing deeded rights-of-way, Quequechan River buffer zones, and neighbor traffic concerns. - 10:04 · Grant special permit for 16-unit residential townhouse development at 69R Alden Street, conditioned on site plan review and two-year validity — passed
- 55:41 · 320 Renard Street Subdivision — passed
Proposal to subdivide land into two parcels: one retaining a two-family home with a 15-foot rear setback relief, and one conforming lot for a single-family home. - 1:24:20 · 284-288 Broadway Real Estate Office — passed
Request to re-establish a commercial office use on the first floor for Divine Real Estate after commercial use lapsed for over two years. - 1:31:54 · 400 Columbia Street Assisted Living Expansion — passed
Proposal by Farmington Limited Partnership to construct a 33-unit memory care addition, resulting in extended discussion regarding parking counts, employee shifts, and visitor patterns. - 1:58:54 · Continue hearing for variance and special permit for 400 Columbia Street to March 19, 2020 to allow petitioner to submit a detailed revised parking plan — tabled
- 2:02:47 · Approve meeting minutes for November 21, 2019 and December 19, 2019 — approved