ZBA grants sign variance for 155 Riverside St; tables St. Paul's Church appeal

The Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously granted a hardship variance to a bar and grill at 155 Riverside Street, allowing it to replace a non-conforming electronic sign. The board subsequently tabled a practical difficulty variance request from St. Paul's Anglican Church, which seeks to reduce a rear setback to build an accessible connector between the church and its parish house.

Key points

• The board voted 5-0 to grant a hardship variance for 155 Riverside Street, finding that the property's unique location and history of failed businesses created an undue hardship.
• The applicant for the Riverside Street variance argued that without the sign replacement, the business could not attract enough customers to remain viable.
• St. Paul's Anglican Church requested a variance to reduce a 10-foot rear setback to 5 feet to construct a covered, ADA-compliant walkway connecting the main church to the parish house.
• Board members expressed significant concern over whether the church met the standard of "precluding a permitted use," noting that the church is currently operational despite accessibility challenges.
• The board decided to table the St. Paul's Church application to allow the applicant time to provide additional evidence regarding economic impact and membership trends.

Next steps

• St. Paul's Anglican Church will be given the opportunity to reopen evidence and provide additional documentation on economic injury and membership stability before the board votes on their variance request.

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