Weston ZBA Closes 40B Hearing on 180-Unit South Avenue Project Unanimously

WESTON — June 29, 2022 — Weston's Zoning Board of Appeals closed the public hearing on a proposed 180-unit Chapter 40B rental development at 518 South Avenue, starting a 40-day deadline to issue a decision by August 8. The board — Chair Jane Carlson, Winifred Lee, and Sujit Totaly — voted 3-0 on each of three procedural motions, including scheduling deliberation sessions via Zoom starting July 6. Applicant principal Jonathan Buckman, represented by attorney Valerie Moore of The Hanover Companies, declined a board request for an extension to August 30, citing more than three years in process. Engineer Michael Mobile, retained by abutters, called the gap between the project's ModFlow and HydroCAD stormwater models "a fatal issue," while attorney Dennis Murphy, also for the neighbors, urged the board to deny the project or withhold waivers absent affirmative evidence that public health and safety standards are met. Town Counsel John Witten warned the board to file its written decision on the 40th day itself, cautioning that the Housing Appeals Committee "will find every way possible for failure of the board."