256 Sunderland Road (ZB-2026-022)
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions plus the posted agenda; names, figures and vote tallies may be misheard.
- What: Zoning Board of Appeals petition ZB-2026-022 for 256 Sunderland Road (aka 262 Sunderland Road), about 24 attached single-family units in 6 buildings.
- Where it stands: approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals 5-0 on 2026-07-20: a frontage variance (about 337.5 ft of the 550 ft required) and a special permit for single-family attached use (per auto-captions). The Planning Board track is 256 and 262 Sunderland Road.
- Next: Planning Board site plan and more-than-one-building-on-a-lot review (hearing 2026-10-28) and a Conservation Commission notice of intent.
The proposal
- Petitioner: Sunderland Village, LLC.
- Present use: vacant wooded lot. Zone: RL-7 (Residence, Limited).
- Purpose: about 24 single-family attached units in 6 structures of 4 units each, with parking from a common driveway and other site improvements.
Relief sought
- Variance: minimum frontage for a single-family attached dwelling in RL-7 (Art. IV, Sec. 4, Table 4.2).
- Special Permit: single-family attached dwelling use in RL-7 (Art. IV, Sec. 2, Table 4.1, Residential Use No. 12).
Hearing on 2026-07-20
- Presented by Donald O'Neil for Sunderland Village, LLC (architect Raphael Hernandez and an engineer on call; an owner's representative spoke on trees and trash). The numbers heard in the hearing were 22 units in six buildings (four with four units, two with three) off one private driveway, versus about 24 on the agenda.
- Relief: frontage variance of about 337.54 ft, 61% of the 550 ft required in RL-7 (the rule assumes 25 ft of frontage per unit); the applicant's access is a single 35 to 40 ft driveway entrance. Findings 1 to 3 were read by the chair from the new submission and 4 to 7 by the attorney (see State Zoning Act Variance Changes (2026)).
- Staff (Michelle M. Smith): by-right maximum is 12 units (six duplexes with accessory units); multi-family low-rise would need only 140 ft of frontage and allow about 40 units by lot area. The site is in a managed growth area near Grafton St., with condominiums around it. Staff noted the subdivision rules call for five front-yard trees and the plan shows one.
- Conditions: 1B shade trees every 50 ft kept but allowed elsewhere on the site if they cannot fit; 1D sidewalk wording "at minimum" struck; 1G (cut driveway width to 9 ft) struck; the dumpster condition kept in case trash plans change (the applicant plans private curbside pickup and no dumpster).
- Waivers: two, granted as requested.
- Vote: 5-0 to close and 5-0 to approve.
Status and next steps
- Approved by the ZBA 5-0 on 2026-07-20.
- The Planning Board application (PB-2026-065) was postponed to 2026-10-28 with the constructive grant deadline at 2026-11-19; see 256 and 262 Sunderland Road.
Discussion time
About 35 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-20 - Zoning Board of Appeals | 35 |
Log
- 2026-07-20 - Zoning Board of Appeals - Public hearing; no opposition. Frontage variance and single-family attached special permit approved 5-0 with two waivers. Conditions: 1B trees every 50 ft (elsewhere on site if not possible), 1D "at minimum" struck, 1G struck, dumpster condition kept. Public hearing deadline was 7/20/2026; constructive grant deadline was 8/11/2026.