Zoning board grants special permit for second-story addition at 26 Road

The Reading Zoning Board of Appeals voted July 6 to grant petitioner John McCabe a special permit to construct a second-story addition on a pre-existing nonconforming lot at 26 Road (case 26-0826).

The applicant’s representative told the board the project would be a "second level addition straight off of the existing foundation" and described the property as pre-existing and nonconforming. The central technical issue noted in the hearing was the side-yard setback: the existing structure measures about 14 feet on the side in question, while the zoning bylaw requires a 15-foot setback.

Neighbors submitted multiple letters in support. The board read a letter from Marty and Beth Leak into the record stating that, because the proposed work "does not expand the existing footprint, merely increases the height of the existing structure," they "do not object in any way to the project." Several other nearby residents from Whittier Road, Woody Road and other addresses provided identical or similar written support during public comment.

A board member moved to grant the special permit under sections 6.3, 7.0, 7.3 and 7.3.2 of the zoning bylaw, citing an architectural plot plan prepared by John D. Sullivan (dated June 11). The motion included standard conditions: the petitioner must submit to the building inspector a certified plot plan and proposed foundation plans prior to issuance of a building/foundation permit; final construction and as-built foundation plans must be provided before issuance of a building permit; and the as-built plan showing completed construction must be filed immediately after work is finished and before final permit issuance.

The motion received a second and passed; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally or identify the mover and seconder by name. Officials told the petitioner the board will record and draft a written decision (approximately 14 days) and that a 20-day appeal period begins after the decision is posted.

The board did not report any opposing testimony in the record on the setback issue. The permit approval and its filing and appeal deadlines are the meeting’s most immediate procedural outcomes.

Next steps: the applicant must submit the certified plot and foundation plans to the building inspector, the decision will be drafted and posted, and the 20-day appeal period will follow posting.