HomeMy WebLinkAbout5115 155 Station Ave Letter of Opposition 1 Received 06.27.24JESSICA M. CROKER
149 STATION AVENUE
SOUTH YARMOUTH, MA 02664
�508) 801-3966
June 27, 2024
Town of Yarmouth
Zoning Board of Appeals
1146 Route 28
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Re: Appeals Application #5115 155 Station Avenue
To Whom It May Concern:
RECEIVED
JUN 27 2024
YARMOUTH
BOARD OF APPEALS
I am an abutting neighbor, owner of 149 Station Avenue, South
Yarmouth, I recently received notice that the owner of 155 Station
Avenue was seeking a special permit to add an addition to an
existing illegal accessory apartment under by-law 407. The owner
had previously sought relief from the zoning board of appeals,
regarding an accessory apartment, which was withdrawn at the last
hearing, as his apartment did not meet minimum size requirements
and he did not have adequate parking. With this new permit, the
owner seeks to enlarge his accessory apartment and create a two
family home.
I am submitting this objection in writing, as I am unavailable
to attend this hearing in person. I have owned my home since 2019.
However, this home has been in my family since 1982. I now live in
my home with my two children. I have always considered this to be
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a safe and well -kept neighborhood, consisting of single-family
homes.
When I received notice of the owner's original request for
relief, I was immediately concerned, because as the board is aware,
this property was the site of a serious motor vehicle accident on
February 29, 2024. On this evening, a vehicle left property,
reversed, without its lights onto Station Avenue, causing an
accident. This resulted in the car being rear ended and propelled
into 155 Station Avenue, causing structural damage. At the time,
the home was occupied, and I was aware that a young child was
living at the property.
When the new owner purchased this property, it was evident
that they did a great deal of work on it. One of the first
improvements made was erecting a six-foot white fence around the
entire property. This fence prevents anyone from the outside
seeing into the yard or into the home. Recently I drove by and
saw that the owner also erected a fence inside the property, diving
the yard in half, which created a separate yard for his illegally
constructed accessory apartment. The purpose of this fence was to
prevent anyone from seeing the work that was done without permits
and to create a duplex in this small, one family home.
Additional work on the property included taking down many
trees and foliage that created privacy between my back yard and
theirs. Before my yard was completed shielded from theirs. Now I
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can see through their yard onto Lambert Street. There is virtually
no privacy, except for our six-foot fences that divide the property
lines. I am concerned that the addition of an accessory apartment
to this already small property will create additional noise and
interfere with my right to enjoy the privacy of my backyard.
Before the accident I noticed the driveway that faces Station
Avenue had multiple cars parked in it. There are no other parking
spaces off the street. When additional cars could not fit in the
driveway, they would line the abutting Lambert Street. As the board
may or not be aware, this section of Station Avenue can be very
congested with traffic.
When school is in session, traffic can be backed up
considerably. Cars often speed down Studley Road to avoid backup.
This fall, speeding was so bad that the Yarmouth Police Department
had a cruiser stationed on Studley Road for several weeks, during
morning school hours, to discourage speeding. Allowing an
accessory apartment will increase traffic. Allowing multiple cars
to be parked in a small driveway, that is only meant to accommodate
one or two cars, is a safety concern for the children that walk
Station Avenue to school every day.
Additionally, this is an area that is infamous for car
accidents. According to the statistics kept by the Yarmouth Police
Department, there were seventy car accidents on Station Avenue, in
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2023. The increased traffic brought by an accessory apartment, as
evidenced by prior behavior, will likely add to these numbers,
I would again refer to my last written letter of objection,
dated April 22, 2024 and those arguments set forth therein. The
owner had not met the minimum requirements to qualify for such
relief. The owner knowingly created an apartment which violated
the town by-laws and was only caught when a serious car accident
caused structural damage to his home.
This neighborhood consists of small, well -kept, single-
family homes, reminiscent of a time before people created enormous
homes on postage sized lots. The property values and integrity of
this neighborhood means a great deal to me and my neighbors. For
the foregoing reasons, I would urge the board to deny this appeal
for relief.
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Sincerely,
jess�w M. Cro�zer
Jessica M. Croker