HomeMy WebLinkAbout- Correspondence - 21 EASY STREET 8/14/2018 August 14, 2018
Town of North Andover
Zoning Board of Appeals
RE Variance Request-21 Easy Street
To The Board of Appeals:
Pursuant to the instructions provided with the application for a variance, we are providing this
memorandum with the important facts and circumstances.
When we acquired the home four years ago, there was an existing deck (10' x 12') which had fallen into
disrepair. We decided that it was time to replace the structure and wanted to increase the entertaining
space to better serve our needs. We hired a contractor to construct a new ground level deck/patio in this
area, extending the deck to be roughly 35' x 18'. The deck will be completely behind a 6 foot privacy
fence, so the decision to keep it at ground level was made for privacy reasons, both ours and our
neighbors.
During the process it was identified that bringing the deck up to the existing fence,would result in the last
8' of the deck being constructed within the 30' setback as required under the zoning bylaws. Due to the
placement of the home and pool,the only option for extending the entertaining space was to build in this
direction, and if it was not for the unique shape of the long lot, we believe that our proposal would not
have been an issue.
Due to the deck being built at ground level, and therefore not visible to anyone, we believe that this
variance would not cause any substantial detriment to the character of the neighborhood or the public
good. Further, keeping the deck at ground level hidden behind the privacy fence is in line with the spirit
of the zoning bylaws and maintains the neighborhood and right to privacy. Additionally, I have discussed
the proposed construction with the neighbor abutting the property on the side we are requesting a
variance and they have stated they have no issues or concerns with the new deck.
We respectfully request that the Board approve our application for the variance in light of our specific set
of facts.
Sincerely,