Town of Hingham Massachusetts - Town Government & Services, Departments: Zoning Board of Appeals

210 Central Street
Hingham, MA 02043-2759
Phone 781-741-1494
Fax 781-740-0239
Hours of Operation:
M-W-Th 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tues 8:30am-7:00pm
Fri 8:30am-1:00pm
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BOARD OF APPEALS GUIDE to Zoning Terms and the Hearing Process

The Board of Appeals holds public hearings on applications for zoning variances and special permits and decides appeals of administrative decisions of the Town's zoning officials. Zoning hearings are generally held on Thursday evenings in the Central Meeting Room of the Town Hall, 210 Central Street. Staff is available Monday through Thursday to assist you in the application process and to answer zoning questions.

Regular Members	Term Expires
W. Tod McGrath	2012
Joseph M. Fisher	2010
Joseph W. Freeman	2011
Associate Members	Term Expires
William M. Koplovsky	2010
William C. Ramsey	2010
Mario Romania, Jr.	2010
Jamey Tesler	2010
Staff
Suzanne Letizia-Eddy, Zoning Administrator
Karen Clancy, Administrative Assistant

The Board of Appeals has three regular members, appointed to 3-year terms, and nine associate members appointed to 1-year terms. The Board of Selectmen makes all appointments.

In 2008 a total of forty-two applications were received, resulting in over one hundred hearings being held, which included numerous joint hearings with the Planning Board. The Board of Appeals granted twenty-four Variances. Variances are authorizations to use land or structures in a manner that is otherwise prohibited by the Zoning By-Law. Projects approved included new construction/ additions/reconstruction to dwellings and garages, sheds, and conversion to living space. The Board also approved two residential Variances to maintain the existing dwelling during construction of a new dwelling on the same lot and heard the first zoning application to install air conditioning units within the setback, a change made in the Zoning By-Law a few years ago. The Board also approved Variances for signs including those at the new DeScenza Jewelers on Derby Street and a use Variance for a new indoor personal fitness training facility in the Industrial Park District.

The Board heard applications on sixteen Special Permit requests. Special Permits are authorizations to use land or structures for a specific use which is expressly permitted by the Special Permit, provided general guidelines as detailed in the By-Law and specific conditions arising from the review process itself are met. Special Permits are designed as a flexible tool to assure that the use is in harmony with the intent and purposes of the By-Law. Among those approved include a change from warehouse and manufacturing use to medical office use in the Industrial Park, installation of wireless telecommunication antennas in the Faith Church of the Nazarene steeple on Thaxter Street, and construction of a seasonal outdoor patio at The Snug restaurant on North Street. One of the more closely followed Special Permits included approval to demolish the existing Settles Glass building on Station Street in order to construct and operate a restaurant with a seasonal outdoor biergarten; many of these hearings were held jointly with the Planning Board.

Appeals are reviews of the decisions or orders of zoning officials by the Board of Appeals. The Board may uphold, reverse or modify the official’s decision. The Board heard three Appeals in 2008. The most closely followed Appeals were for property at 3 Otis Street. Two Appeals were filed relating to the Building Commissioner’s decisions that 1) a parking waiver is required (which was denied) and 2) that a previous Special Permit issued to allow for the installation of timber mooring piles had lapsed (which was granted).

During the course of the year the Board held numerous hearings on three Comprehensive Permit Chapter 40B applications, which could add seventeen affordable housing units to the Town’s Subsidized Housing Inventory. The Board approved two Comprehensive Permits: Damon Farm, a project to be built partially in Hingham and partially in Norwell at Queen Anne’s Corner and Hingham Square Townhomes, fifteen age-restricted townhomes along with the redevelopment and restoration of the Hersey House as a single family dwelling on North Street. The Board denied the application filed by Newcastle Ridge for the construction of residential condominium units on Ward Street due to what the Board felt were significant unresolved design and functionality issues on site.

In July the Board welcomed former regular member and long-time associate member Joseph Freeman as its new regular member. Joe replaces another long-time regular member Stephen McLaughlin, who is now an associate member. 2008 also saw the resignation of three long-time board members: Robert Bersani, Stephen David and Victor Popp. The Board wishes to express it’s gratitude to Bob, Stephen and Victor for their professionalism and willingness to share their expertise during their many years of dedicated service to the town.

The Board would like to express its thanks for the support, cooperation and assistance we have received from all Town departments during the past year. The Board also would encourage all interested citizens to attend its hearings, which are generally held on selected Thursday evenings at Town Hall.

SUMMARY

Applications: 42
Hearings: 113
Special Permits: 16 (1 granted, 13 granted
with conditions,
1 withdrawn, 1 dismissed)
Variances: 34 (1 granted, 23 granted
with conditions,
10 withdrawn)
Appeals: 3 (2 denied, 1 granted)

Comprehensive Permits: 3 (2 granted with conditions,
1 denied)

W. Tod McGrath, Chairman
Joseph M. Fisher, Vice-Chairman
Joseph W. Freeman, Clerk

Suzanne Letizia-Eddy, Zoning Administrator