The Zoning Board of Appeals at its most recent meeting granted a variance allowing Don Corbo of Darien to build a small addition at 138 Harrison Ave.—one of six units in the development, consisting of three two-family homes near Main Street.
Numbers 134, 138 and 142 Harrison Ave. are multifamily homes near the corner of Main St. They sold for $4.2 million together in August 2017. Credit: Michael Dinan
Corbo, managing partner of Harrison Avenue Development, told members of the ZBA at their Oct. 2 meeting that he is converting the homes—purchased this summer for $4.2 million— from rentals to condominiums, and thus is seeking to renovate and update them.
“This particular unit is the smallest and least attractive of the units,” he said during the meeting, held at Town Hall. “Right now it has only one room on the first floor which serves as a living room, dining room and kitchen.”
The plan, he said, is to build a small addition that will allow for a separate kitchen area on the ground floor and a master bedroom on the second floor.
The request for variance is because the addition expands the footprint 248 square feet more than what is allowed under the current regulations.
The plan also includes replacing and slightly expanding a patio at the rear of the unit and adding French doors that open out onto the patio.
ZBA member Laura Edmonds asked Corbo what he was doing about the parking situation at the development. Corbo explained that he is adding some parking next to 142 and 144 that will make it so each unit has a total of three spaces. He is also planning to regrade and repave the parking areas.
Corbo said he is updating the bathrooms and kitchens in all six units. In addition, he is removing all of the oil tanks, furnaces and hot water heaters and converting the units to gas.
Corbo presented letters from the neighbors and said they are all fine with the project. Some fencing and new plantings will help screen one neighbor to the rear of the unit and lessen the impact, he said.
Corbo said his hardship is that a zone change in 2005 decreased the allowable coverage and made it impossible to build the small addition without violating the regulations.
The board approved the application 4-0, with Edmonds as well as Chairman Carroll Yanicelli, Angelo Ziotas and Jeanne Rozel voting in favor. Regular ZBA member John Mahoney was absent.