Weston ZBA Advances 40B Hearing, Sets June 30 Deadline for 518 South Ave Project

WESTON — June 7, 2022 — Weston's Zoning Board of Appeals pressed the 518 South Avenue 40B developer on retaining walls, landscaping gaps, and school bus routing at the June 7 continuation hearing. The board — Chair Jane Carlson, Winifred Lee, and Sujit Satoli — voted 3-0 to continue to June 20, with a third session tentatively set for June 27 for neighborhood closing arguments; the full record closes June 30. Civil engineer Tom Houston delivered a 40-point construction management memo recommending that heavy truck deliveries be restricted in coordination with Weston Police, that blasting be prohibited, and that bare earth areas be stabilized within 72 hours. Landscape peer reviewer Karen Sebastian documented that retaining walls up to 10 feet tall are positioned so close to abutting property lines that construction would require encroaching on neighbors' land, with less than one foot of clearance at the tightest point — a finding that echoed earlier concerns from civil and architectural reviewers. Town Counsel John Whitten warned the board it cannot meaningfully evaluate substantive waivers, including a request to allow the 200-unit multifamily project in a single-residence district, without a pro forma the applicant has yet to provide.