2024-02-22 OPS Report 129 Riverbank and 24 Corticelli
Nathan Chung, Land Use Planner ▪ NChung@NorthamptonMA.gov ▪ (413) 587-1262
Staff Reports for ZBA 02/22/2024 Covered in the reports
● 129 Riverbank Rd: ZBA Appeal of the Building Commissioner’s Demolition Order.
● 24 Corticelli St: ZBA Special Permit application for converting a garage with a nonconforming
left-side setback into additional living area and adding a deck behind it. Report for 129 Riverbank Rd
PERMIT TYPE PUBLIC HEARING DATES OWNER EXISTING USE ZBA Appeal of Building Commissioner’s Order 02/22/2024 Continuation of previous hearings on: 1. 8/25/2022 2. 12/8/2022 3. 8/24/2023 4. 12/14/2023
Richard Watling Single-family home
PROPERTY ADDRESS/PARCEL ID/ZONE/LOT SIZE
1. Address and Parcel ID: 129 Riverbank Rd; 25-026-001
2. Zone: Special conservancy 3. Lot size: +- 5,298 sqft (from May 20, 2020 survey)
APPLICATION URL
Direct link to the application
(*Parent folder link if you have trouble using the direct link. Locate the application folder by Parcel ID:
https://northamptonma.gov/pending)
The applicant’s attorney notified OPS staff on 1/31/2024 that they have recorded the ZBA special permit
and the deed to acquire the strip of land required for the permit. The required wetland permit was
approved but the appeal period deadline was still about five days away on that date. The zoning
ordinance issues that contributed to the demolition order has been resolved.
The applicant has not requested a withdrawal as of 2/14/2024. Report for 24 Corticelli St
PERMIT TYPE PUBLIC HEARING
DATE
OWNER EXISTING USE
ZBA Special Permit 02/22/2024
(Continued from
01/11/2024)
Felix Harvey (Also
the applicant)
Two-family home
PROPERTY ADDRESS/PARCEL ID/ZONE/LOT SIZE
1. Address: 24 Corticelli St, Florence, MA
2. Parcel ID: 22B-037
3. Zone: URB
4. Lot size: About 12,880 sqft (per Assessor’s records)
APPLICATION URL
Direct link to the application
(*Parent folder link if you have trouble using the direct link. Locate the application folder by Parcel ID:
https://northamptonma.gov/pending) Summary of Request
The applicant proposed to convert the left-side attached garage of a two-family house with
nonconforming setbacks into additional living area for the larger dwelling unit and add a deck behind it.
As explained in the 1/11/2024 staff report, the garage conversion would reduce the parking space from
3 to 2 where 3 is the required minimum. The ZBA cannot offer relief for this violation. The applicant is
requesting withdrawal of this application.
To try to remove the parking violation, the applicant had applied for a Planning Board special permit for
off-site parking based on zoning ordinance 350-8.7 in January of 2024. He withdrew it due to being
unable to find a suitable off-site parking space nearby.
The recommendation to the ZBA is to approve the withdrawal without prejudice.