53 Appleton Street Statement of Hardship STATEMENT OF HARDSHIP
PROJECT: 53 Appleton Street-Michael &Janel Titus
Salem, MA 01970
APPLICANT: WORKS by JD
Dear Board members,
We at WORKS by JD write to you as representatives for the Titus family who live at 53
Appleton St., Salem, MA 01970. We propose to rebuild the front portion of the roof,
belonging to the top unit (Unit B), with a new Nantucket style dormer. This would
change the building from a 2.5 story 2-family structure to a 3-story 2-family structure.
The overall height of the structure will remain the same with no change to the main
ridge. Therefore, construction of the dormer will not adversely affect adjacent
neighbors. The dormer will be street facing and is designed to keep in style with the
existing aesthetics of the home. We will match all existing siding, trim, and roofing
materials to the best of our abilities. Upon completion we are increasing the third-floor
square footage to 654 sgft. from 519 sgft..
Currently, Unit B has 2 bedrooms on the third floor. Our client has 2 children who are at
the age where separate bedrooms are necessary. The homeowner, Michael Titus, was
raised in the house and his parents had converted the structure from a single family to a
2-family during his childhood. As adults, Michael and Janel chose to move their family
into the top unit so they could raise their children close to their grandparents, be able to
care for Michael's parents in times of need, and remain in the community he grew up
in. Relocating their family to a new home with 3 bedrooms would not allow them to
maintain the current family dynamics,which is more of a priority to them than having
an extra bedroom. We ask for your approval today so we can create a third bedroom on
the third floor to accommodate the family's needs, all without causing detrimental
effects to the neighborhood.
Thank you,
WORKS by JD team.