HomeMy Public PortalAbout18-20 Clyde - submittal 2-21-2020 To: Watertown Board of Appeals 1q1EtkZ!1 Vk1ro
Re: 18-20 Clyde Road Watertown
,, MA 02472 re
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Owner: Aram MilleF B�AI�p OF 2020
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Appearance Date: 2/26/2020 �w�1/
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Reasons for requesting relief from the Landscape Buffer Requirement:
1. Personal background
I will be 85 years old in April. I have lived in Watertown for most of my life. I
attended the Hosmer School (first grade), East Junior High School, and
Watertown High School. I survived cancer, have to wear a colostomy bag, had
recent surgeries on both ears, and a hip replacement and knee surgery. I'm on a
pacemaker; because while being monitored my heart had stopped beating on
three different occasions. I'm happy to report that in spite of these recent events,
I'm doing well.
The pressure of this hearing and concern for my tenants have made this entire
process very difficult for me. Given my age and health, I am asking the Board to
please give serious consideration to either:
a. Allow me an extra parking space in front just for the winter months for
as long as I'm able to reside in the building; (see photo #1 of my
neighbor directly across street and photo #2).
b. Or postpone the parking restriction and ground cover requirement for
as long as I'm able to reside in the building.
2. Referring to 3' grass strip requirement:
I understand the reason behind the 3' grass strip requirement. However, I would
respectfully ask the board to consider who would benefit from adding the strip? It
would deteriorate, especially in the winter, into a muddy mess because of
plowing and melting snow (see photographs #3, #4, #5 showing mud between
driveways)...and because of the width of the driveway, tenants would end up
walking through this mud (see photos #6 and #7). Furthermore, navigating six
trash/recycling barrels over what may become a mud strip will be a difficult and
unpleasant situation (see photos #8 and #9).
3. Alternative Considerations
To quote from the minutes, Chair Ferris had commented: "the hardship is the
cantilevered bays and the chimney, which is not illustrated. Those would impact
spaces 2&3 but not 1, 4&5 so, he suggests a consideration of having no or less
buffer at 2&3 only and more landscaping at all of the other spaces for the
hardship mitigation and landscaping in the front where there is crushed stone."
(see photos #10 and #11)
If the Board ends up willing to allow no buffer at spaces 2 and 3, would the Board
also consider allowing no buffer at space 1...then the buffer wouldn't be broken
up into two separate buffers (one at space 1, and another at spaces 4&5). To
add some aesthetic value to this scenario, I could construct a picket fence (see
photos #12 and #13 for examples) on the border line along spaces 1, 2, and 3 up
to the existing chain link fence. Possible alternative to the picket fence is a stone
barrier (see photos #14, #15, #16).
4. Other nearby violations:
Please review photographs which demonstrate:
a. Numerous properties with adjacent driveways with no dividing strip between
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them; (see photos #17, #18, #19, #20)
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b. Numerous properties with cars parked directly in front (including my neighbor
across the street). (Refer back to photos #1 and #2)
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Aram Miller
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