HomeMy WebLinkAbout- Correspondence - 329 OSGOOD STREET 9/11/2018 Proof of Hardship
It is a corner lot. The shape of the lot and the location of the house limit our options.
Locations for a garage are normally to the south and north sides of the house, but either of those
options would require and even greater variance. We have no other place to put it. This is hardship.
The size of our lot and the location of the house make the usual setbacks for the garage hard to meet.
This is also a hardship.
The street is busy so the front yard is not a good space for recreation. If the garage were to meet all the
setbacks the backyard would be too small and not useable for games, simple gatherings, or clothes line
and gardens. This is also a hardship. We should be able to enjoy our own property.
The proposed garage would be in the visual back of the lot, similar to the next house and across the
street from another garage. It does not change the character of the neighborhood. With the new
setback from Phillips Court there is no issue about visibility. We are not hurting the `amenity of the
neighborhood'. Our neighbors support this project and will be present at the next meeting.
The age of our neighborhood is also a factor. The mill houses on Phillips Court were built on a path
which became a street which needed proper widths and setbacks. Our house lot was laid out when
there was no sense that garages were necessary. People walked to work, shopping, church and school
which were just a few blocks away. At most a family had one car.The lot and house were laid out and
built for a wholly different era. Times have changed and lifestyles have changed dramatically since the
early days when our neighborhood was established. Our home is a family home that we have lived in
for 30 years, updating and renovating to the modern lifestyle of today. Allowing us to build a one car
garage in the proposed location will help us to maintain our home to the high standards that make
living in North Andover so desirable.
Submitted by James& Lisa Lafond
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