The Needham Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 30 approved an amendment allowing Advanced Softball Training LLC to expand into the entire condominium unit at 6 Brook Road and to adjust previously imposed limits on occupancy and parking.

Attorney George Giunta Jr., representing the applicant, told the board the unit is a 5,577‑square‑foot condominium built in 1966 and historically shared with a separate tenant, Chilly Bears. Giunta said Chilly Bears ceased operations sooner than expected and Advanced Softball now seeks to occupy the whole building, remove most interior partitions to create batting‑cage space, and use the existing 17 on‑site parking spaces. "Advanced Softball will now take over the entire building and all the parking spaces. They will be the sole tenant, the sole occupant, the sole user of the building," Giunta said.

Why it matters: the expansion changes the configuration but preserves the nature of the use (indoor athletic/exercise facility serving primarily children). The amendment increases the permitted maximum number of participants from 18 to 20 and raises the allowed on‑site staff cap from 3 to 4. The requested parking relief was the larger issue: the building has 17 spaces but the town's indoor athletic standard would yield a much larger theoretical demand. Giunta said an alternative calculation based on drop‑off childcare patterns would produce a lower demand of roughly 13 spaces, but applying the indoor athletic standard would require 40 spaces. To reconcile those differences, the applicant asked the board to continue and expand the previously granted parking waiver to a shortfall of 23 spaces.

Board action and conditions: the board voted to amend the May 15, 2025 special permit to (1) increase the permitted maximum participants from 18 to 20, (2) increase the maximum number of staff at any time from 3 to 4, and (3) expand the parking waiver to cover a 23‑space shortfall. The motion was made by Peter (ZBA member) and seconded; the board approved the amendment unanimously. The board and the applicant confirmed that all other conditions of the original special permit remain in effect.

Additional context: Giunta emphasized the operation is primarily drop‑off/pick‑up for minors (ages 10–18) and said actual peak occupancy will remain at or below 24 people—the same total the board contemplated when the building previously housed both tenants. He also noted the existing parking areas are noncompliant with current design standards (head‑in spaces, lack of landscaping and setbacks) and will continue to require design‑waiver relief.

The board record shows no municipal departments objected to the amendment on operational grounds; Planning, Building, Fire, Board of Health and Public Works submitted no objections or had no additional concerns noted into the record.

What remains unresolved: the transcript shows discussion about whether the town should apply a childcare/drop‑off parking standard versus the indoor athletic standard; the board granted relief consistent with the applicants request and carried forward previous design waivers rather than requiring immediate physical changes to the parking area.

The ZBA action amends the prior special permit but leaves all other conditions from the original decision unchanged.