The Zoning Board of Appeals on March 10 granted a finding under Section 3 to allow construction of a rear deck at 13-15 South Liberty Street to remain 4.1 feet from the side property line where 15 feet is required.

Contractor Chris Jones told the board he had adjusted the deck to align with the existing nonconforming footprint, keeping the deck at 4.1 feet from the property line as requested in the application. Owner Patrick O'Brien said the house was dilapidated when he purchased it and that the work is intended to revitalize the property and finish renovations so he can live on site while running his nearby business. “We're just trying to revitalize things, clean it up, and finish off the house,” O'Brien said.

Board members reviewed photos and the revised plan and agreed the deck constitutes a continuation of a pre-existing nonconforming condition; the board found the proposed work was not substantially more detrimental to neighboring properties. The board voted to issue the finding without additional conditions recorded at the hearing.

The contractor and owner said other permit work (a two-car garage and interior renovation) is being processed through building permits; the deck finding covers only the setback encroachment at issue before the ZBA.