Saugus Board of Appeals grants variances and special permits at February session

Other Committee · Meeting of February 26, 2026

Saugus Board of Appeals complied with a court order and cleared six petitions at its February 26 meeting. Chair Tom Travis led the five-member board through a packed agenda, opening with a 5-0 vote granting two court-mandated variances to V&V Saugus Realty, LLC at 24 Broadway, including a lot-area variance allowing 21,007 square feet where 40,000 is required and a 6-foot side yard setback where 15 feet is required, after Attorney Mark Johnson presented the superior court judgment and a letter from Town Counsel John Vassipoli. The board negotiated a compromise front setback of 15 feet, down from the requested 10.2 feet, on Thomas Lightbody's petition to replace a vehicle-damaged garage at 19 Golden Hills Road with a new 728-square-foot, two-story structure not to exceed 20 feet in height.

A lengthy debate over Donna Fazio's 36 Biscayne Avenue accessory dwelling unit application ended with the board accepting Fazio's withdrawal and directing her to Building Commissioner Michael Vecchia, with members acknowledging the state has made compliant ADUs a matter of right, largely removing the board's jurisdiction.

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Source: the Other Committee meeting of February 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.