Board approves expanded rear addition and second‑floor deck at 32 Bayside despite neighbor objections

The Newport Zoning Board granted variances for 32 Bayside Avenue on July 27, approving an amended plan that reduces lot coverage and narrows the originally proposed second‑floor deck. Owner Richard Burlinski and his design and appraisal team made several plan adjustments at the dais, including converting a portion of the ground‑level deck to a sub‑32‑inch patio and reducing second‑floor deck area to 231 square feet. Board members debated how the application fit the recently enacted 100‑square‑foot limit for upper‑level decks.

Neighbor William Hogan, whose house abuts 32 Bayside, told the board the proposal still exceeded the council’s new 100‑sq‑ft standard and would harm views and privacy. "A deck more than twice the legal limit is not any of those things," Hogan said of the applicant's claim that the design represented minimal relief; he argued the ordinance change should be enforced to protect neighbors. Applicant counsel and a recognized real‑estate expert argued the application met variance standards given the lot’s small size and the surrounding neighborhood’s existing lot coverage. After deliberation, the board approved the petition on a 4–1 roll call with conditions including standard start/complete timelines and payment of public‑notice fees.

The board also accepted the applicant’s on‑the‑record reductions (making the north‑side deck area a patio and pulling that portion three feet from the property line), which the staff and the applicant said reduced the lot‑coverage ask to approximately 33.8%. Dissenting Board member Bart Grimes said he could not support exceeding the newer dimensional standard for second‑floor decks and voted no. Counsel was asked to prepare the decision language for record.