Statement of Grounds - 67 EssexSTATEMENT OF GROUNDS
The property that is the subject of this petition is located at 67 Essex Street (the “Property”) in the R-2 Zoning District. There is one three-family dwelling situated on the Property.
The petitioner is proposing to add a small addition and roof deck on top of the second-floor roof in order to improve the habitability of the existing living space on the third floor.
The existing structure on the Property is legally non-conforming under Section 3.3.1 of the Zoning Ordinance and may be altered by a Special Permit issued under Sections 3.3.3 and 3.3.4
upon a finding that the alteration is not substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood than the existing nonconforming structure. Although under certain circumstances the extension
of a nonconforming three-family structure requires a variance, Section 3.3.4 provides that “the extension of an exterior wall at along the same non-conforming distance within a required
yard shall require a Special Permit and not a variance.”
Based on the criteria set forth in Section 9.4.2 of the Ordinance authorizing the issuance of Special Permits, the benefits of the proposed change to the building will outweigh any adverse
effects for the following reasons:
The improvements to the third floor living space will create a more desirable housing unit which is much needed in the City.
There will be no changes to parking or traffic flow as a result of the proposed alteration; and there is an abundance of parking available on the site to serve the three existing units.
Adequate public utilities and services already exist to serve the Property and demand on those services will not be impacted by the proposed changes.
The addition will be no higher than the existing building, so there should be no significant impact on neighborhood character, the natural environment or the view of others.
The proposed rehabilitation of the Property will cause its assessed value to increase and result in a positive fiscal impact on the City.
For these reasons, there are adequate grounds for the Board to grant the requested relief.