Zoning board approves 7.5-foot left‑side setback for Ocean Avenue property, 4–1

The Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4–1 on June 30, 2026, to grant a variance reducing the required left‑side setback for a residential property on Ocean Avenue from 15 feet to 7.5 feet.

The board chair opened the hearing and identified the case as an appeal seeking the reduction. The transcript introduces the owner as "Gabriela Velachin" and the applicant as "Pete Brumette." During testimony the homeowner said the existing entrance/deck was preexisting and described a request to extend it roughly 2.5 feet "to put a grill on there" and avoid carrying a heavy stone across the yard. "I just wanted to add, like, 2 feet off of it to the side just to put a grill on there," the homeowner said.

Board members questioned whether a new deck could be placed in the backyard instead, asked about the existing surface (part blacktop and uneven owing to a hill) and heard that the property contains a dog and limited usable flat space. One member argued the hardship standard was not met and said grilling could be accommodated in the backyard, asserting the board should sustain the zoning requirement.

Most board members concluded the addition was minor, that the structure was preexisting and nonconforming, and that the lot contours limited alternatives. A motion to approve the miscellaneous appeal was made, seconded and carried by voice vote 4–1. After the vote the chair instructed the owner to record the deed within 90 days; staff said they would prepare a certificate of approval and arrange a time to sign it.

The transcript contains inconsistent name spellings for parties and some members (for example, a later motion record references an owner name that appears as "Gabriel McKeeling"). Those inconsistencies appear to be transcription errors; the article reports names only as they were introduced in the hearing and flags the variations as recorded in the meeting transcript.

Appeals of the board decision must be filed in superior court within 45 days, according to the hearing announcement; the board recorded the registry location (noted in the transcript as "Alfred") for deed recordation.

The board did not adopt any additional conditions on the variance beyond standard recording and administrative steps. The owner was told how long they had to file the deed and was directed to follow up with staff about certificate signatures.