7.16.2026 Zoning Board of Appeals

The Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals, chaired by Joseph Pereira, held its meeting on July 16, 2026. The board began by entering a brief executive session before returning to address its agenda. Several petitions were considered, resulting in a mix of approvals, denials, and continuances. A request to table a proposal for 333 Durfee Street, involving the conversion of an auto shop into an 8-family dwelling, was granted to allow the applicant to revise plans for parking. A variance for 311 Crescent Street to divide a property and create a new lot for a single-family home was unanimously approved after the applicant addressed the board's previous concerns about lot coverage and a retaining wall. The board also approved special permits for 70-80 Warburton Street to be subdivided into two lots, and for 422 County Street to convert a former storefront into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by waiving a parking space requirement, a decision that passed 4-1 with Chairman Pereira dissenting due to the precedent it might set.

Further decisions included granting a special permit for Biomed Spa at 400 Rhode Island Avenue to offer cosmetic tattooing and receive parking relief, and approving a side-yard setback variance for a home addition at 1214 Watkins Street. A proposal for a 12-unit, 5-story apartment building at 637 Durfee Street was tabled at the petitioner's request after the board expressed significant concerns about the project's density and the number of variances required. The board denied a variance request for 0 Augusta Street to build a two-family home on a lot that did not meet the area requirements, with members noting that recent zoning changes already allowed for a single-family home to be built by right. Finally, a six-month extension was granted for a previously approved project at 2573 and 2589 South Main Street. The meeting concluded after a brief citizen input session and the approval of the previous month's minutes.

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