HomeMy WebLinkAbout5116 228 Route 28 Summary of Reasoning1
Law Office of Singer & Singer, LLC
26 Upper County Road
P. O. Box 67
Dennisport, Massachusetts 02639
Andrew L. Singer Tel: (508) 398-2221
Marian S. Rose Fax: (508) 398-1568
_____ www.singer-law.com
Myer R. Singer (1938-2020)
Yarmouth Board of Appeals 228 Route 28, West Yarmouth
SUMMARY OF REASONING
James Ruma [“Applicant”] is the proposed, short-term tenant at 228 Route 28 in West
Yarmouth [“Property”]. The Property (Assessor’s Map 37, Parcel 148) is located in the B2 Zoning
District and was formerly the site of a restaurant. The previous restaurant building has been
demolished. Remaining improvements on the Property consist of the concrete slab for the former
building as well as a large, paved parking field.
The Applicant would like to open a temporary, seasonal plant sales area for this season
through Fall, 2024. He proposes to re-use twenty-eight (28) of the existing parking spaces and install
a temporary fence enclosure and display tables for the plants as shown on the submitted plan. Sales
would be during the daytime only (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.). No other changes are proposed for the site
in connection with this temporary use.
The Property owner is in the process of permitting a long-term redevelopment and complete
site upgrade of the land. Last year, there was a request before the Board by a different petitioner for
a go-kart use on the Property which was not approved. Recently, the Applicant appeared before the
Site Plan Review Team to discuss his proposed plant sales. The Building Commissioner noted that
while the H1 use is otherwise permitted by right, variance relief would be required in this instance
from the provision of Section 202.5, Footnote 2, because the bulk of display and sales (in this case
100%) would not be conducted inside a building.
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The Board of Appeals is authorized to grant variances in accordance with Section 102.2.2 of the
Yarmouth Zoning By-Law [“Zoning By-Law”] and M.G.L. Chapter 40A, Section 10, upon finding that a
literal enforcement of the Zoning By-Law would involve substantial financial or practical hardship to
the Petitioner, that the hardship is owing to circumstances relating to the soil conditions, shape or
topography of such land or structures and especially affecting such land or structures, but not
affecting generally the zoning district, and desirable relief may be granted without substantial
detriment to the public good and without nullifying or substantially derogating from the intent or
purpose of the Zoning By-Law.
The Applicant respectfully submits that the criteria for a variance from the requirement that
the bulk of display and sales be conducted within a building are satisfied for this otherwise permitted,
garden supplies use because:
1. The requested relief is temporary for 2024 only;
2. The use will only be during the daytime and will be quiet;
3. There will not be a great deal of traffic generated by the temporary use;
4. The Applicant grows his own plants and has long been looking for a suitable place to
sell them locally;
5. Outdoor display and sales of an inventory consisting of living plants is appropriate
for a permitted H1 garden supplies use;
6. The previously-developed, but currently vacant Property is a unique site that lends
itself to the proposed temporary use, while long-term redevelopment is being
permitted through the regulatory process by the Property owner with ultimately
upgraded buffers, drainage, septic, and parking;
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7. Not allowing otherwise permitted plant sales to be displayed and conducted outside
will result in a substantial hardship to the Applicant in not being able to sell plants he
grows locally from a site generally permitted for such use under zoning; and
8. The requested relief can be granted without substantial detriment to the public good
and without nullifying or substantially derogating from the intent or purpose of the
Zoning By-Law for all of the reasons set forth above.
Based on the foregoing, the Applicant respectfully requests that the Board of Appeals make
findings that the proposal satisfies the variance criteria set forth in the Zoning By -Law and grant the
requested relief to allow temporary, outdoor display and sales of garden supplies (plants) as shown
on the submitted plan.