Homeowner seeks 12‑ft DOT‑rated sound barrier at 75 Clinton Street; board requests engineering and exact height before decision

Justin Grossi, attorney for the applicant, and homeowner Nick Fazioli argued the property requires an atypically tall DOT‑rated SIMTech noise barrier to mitigate noise, dust, vibration and air pollution from a heavily trafficked truck corridor adjacent to the yard. Grossi told the board the application was supported by an engineering traffic assessment, EPA monitoring and testimony from a medical director; he described the proposal as narrowly tailored to a unique site condition and emphasized the mitigation benefits for neighboring yards.

Fazioli described repeated, loud truck activity directly adjacent to his backyard and framed the request as a safety and welfare issue for his family: "If one of these oversized vehicle had an accident or overturned, we… my family could literally be dead," he told the board. Board members pressed for technical details: they asked the applicant to supply elevation drawings showing the total installed height (fence plus berm), engineering drawings for foundations and wind loading, and verification of the empirical truck‑count figures. The design review board had issued an unfavorable advisory opinion on the fence height, and ZBA members discussed how any approval here would still require DRB material review for exterior materials and appearance.

The ZBA left the hearing open and scheduled follow‑up for Oct. 19, directing staff and the applicant to supply the precise overall height measurements and engineering details so the board can determine the exact relief to vote on.