Gloucester councilors' planning committee backs six homes on Day Court off Essex Avenue, with seven conditions

Gloucester City Council's Planning and Development Committee voted 3 to 0 on Oct. 7 to recommend a special permit for six homes on Day Court, a private way off Essex Avenue near the railroad tracks, according to the committee's draft minutes posted by the city.

The full City Council makes the final decision. The council had a public hearing on the permit on its Oct. 13 agenda; the outcome of that meeting is not posted yet.

What the committee recommended

The permit would allow six dwelling units in the R-20 district and let two buildings sit 20 feet apart. The zoning rule calls for them to be as far apart as their combined heights, 51.2 feet, so the permit grants 31.2 feet of relief.

The applicant's attorney said the buildings would sit close together because of wetlands and the MBTA tracks next to the site, the minutes say. Each unit would have a two car garage and room outside for two more cars. The rule requires 1.5 spaces per unit.

Councilor Hannah Kimberley asked about the number of units. Councilor Jason Grow, the committee chair, said the Zoning Board of Appeals had first approved three units and had suggested six, which is what the owner now proposes. Councilors also asked how cars would turn around on Day Court and what the homes would cost. The attorney said there would be a turnaround at the back of the property and that prices would depend on the market. A neighbor asked about the depth of the drainage ditch on Day Court, and Grow said he was concerned it could fill with silt over time.

The seven conditions

• Before the first unit can be occupied, clear trees and brush for the first 50 feet of Day Court from Essex Avenue, and keep a low planted border there so drivers and people on foot can see each other.
• Before the first unit can be occupied, put up a 6 foot wooden stockade fence or similar natural barrier for 100 feet along the southeast side of Day Court, and keep it up.
• Follow the city's drainage rules for all work on Day Court.
• Repair any construction damage to Homan's Court.
• Offer neighbors advance email notice before construction starts.
• Build a fence along the railroad that meets MBTA rules.
• Consult neighbors on the final drainage plan.

Also at the meeting

The committee voted 3 to 0 to recommend that the council let National Grid install about 2 feet of underground conduit on Wheeler Street, from a utility pole to the property line of 115 Wheeler St., with seven conditions from the Department of Public Works. A proposal to raise the minimum lot area per home in the coastal RC-40 district from 20,000 to 40,000 square feet was continued to Oct. 21.

The minutes are marked draft until the committee approves them. The meeting recording is on the city website.

Earlier coverage: Meetings today and Thursday (Oct. 7), the agenda, and the Oct. 13 City Council preview (Oct. 11).