By Journal Staff
The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, June 25, in the City Councillor Joseph A. DelGrosso City Council Chamber.
On hand for the session were chair Michael Tucker and fellow members Aklog Limeneh, John Lopes, James O’Brien, and alternate member Peggy Pratt.
The meeting proved to be a short one (about 20 minutes) in which members took up two matters, approving one and continuing the other.
The first item on the agenda was the continuation of a hearing from the May meeting of an application by Michael Trapula, who was requesting variances to enable him to construct a carport at his property at 87 Jones Rd.
Mr. Trapula already had constructed the carport, which he said he needed in order to protect some expensive vehicles from the elements. He had received a cease-and-desist order from the Building Department because he had not acquired the necessary permits prior to constructing his carport. In addition, the ZBA had not received the structural documents from Trapula’s engineer in time for the May meeting. The members voted to continue the matter until its meeting this month in order for Trapula to submit the documents.
After Tucker noted that the ZBA had received the engineering documents, the members unanimously approved issuing the variance. Trapula still must receive approval from the Site Plan Review Board and then must obtain a building permit.
Next up was an application from Hicham Allam, who came before the board requesting a number of variances to enable him to construct a 13’ x 14’ driveway at his residence at 70 Warren Street. Those variance requests were as follows:
1) Revere Revised Ordinance (RRO) Section 17.24.070 (A) (1) which prohibits parking in the front yard, unless a garage-under exists, within the Residential Business (RB) District.
2) RRO Section 17.24.070 (A) (4) which requires at least 40% of the front yard to be landscaped.
3) RRO Section 17.28.030 which requires all parking space dimensions to be no less than 9’ in width and 18’ in length.
Prominent attorney James Cipoletta of Winthrop represented Mr. Allam at the hearing.. “There are several challenges that Mr. Allam is facing,” said Cipoletta. “He has proposed the maximum-constructive driveway on his property so he can take his car off the street. Mr. Allam has a one-family home, but has no off-street parking. He would like to be able to take his car off the street, especially when there are snow emergencies.”
Cipoletta explained that the property is on an upward slope and there is an existing wall that cannot be removed because it holds back the hillside. Cipoletta acknowledged that the application “is a big ask” because the difference between the requested driveway space and the requirement of the ordinance is four feet and not merely a matter of inches.
He noted that Mr. Allam drives a Jeep Compass that will fit in the requested space and if he were to purchase a larger car, he would be unable to use the driveway. In addition, Cipoletta pointed out that there are many other homes in the area that have front-yard parking spaces and that this would be a net-plus of one parking space for the neighborhood.
Fatima Frankel, a neighbor on Warren St., spoke in favor of the application.
There were no opponents.
“The only problem I see is that his car may encroach on the sidewalk,” said Lopes.
Tucker said he had a few concerns, noting that the city requires front-yard green space, which will be taken away by the driveway, and that by adding the necessary curb cuts for the driveway, there will be a net reduction in the amount of on-street parking available to the neighborhood.
“I myself have front-yard parking and the 18-foot minimum is really necessary,” said Tucker, who pointed out that a Jeep Compass measures 14.5 feet, which is less than the proposed space. “We’ve approved front-yard parking, but I’ve never seen a 14-foot driveway approved. Is there any way to work with an engineer to make this space deeper than 14 feet?”
Cipoletta took up Tucker on his suggestion and asked for a continuance to the July 23 meeting, a request that the members approved unanimously.
