Weston ZBA Continues 40B Parking Dispute, Seeks Bylaw Clarity Before August 24 Ruling

WESTON — August 8, 2023 — Weston Zoning Board of Appeals defers parking compliance ruling on a 40B townhouse development to August 24. The board, chaired by Jane Fisher Carlson and including members Winifred Lee and Steve LaRock, spent more than an hour at the August 8 session wrestling with whether the tandem parking layout at 269 North Avenue — a 16-unit affordable housing project carrying a 2017 comprehensive permit — satisfies the zoning bylaw's requirement that each parking area be "continually available" and no less than 350 square feet. Building Inspector John Field, who called the session, said maneuvering calculations produced roughly 143 square feet of circulation per space across the 36-space site, well below the standard. Attorney Mark Goldstein, standing in for lead counsel Brian Levy, argued the 350-square-foot threshold applies to parking areas, not individual spaces, and that tandem spaces controlled by a single household are effectively always available. Neighbor attorney Dan Hill, representing several abutters, noted the submitted plan showed only 32 of the 36 approved spaces and that parking stalls appeared to be just 15 feet deep. Town Counsel George Pucci of KP Law flagged a separately filed July 18 appeal of the building inspector's determination, which also contains a waiver request, as a parallel procedural track the board will need to address.