By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — The developer of a cluster of old houses in Saugatuck that were recently updated instead of razed is seeking relief for parking from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

No. 58 Saugatuck Ave., perched high above the busy state road at the corner of Sunrise Road and across from the north end of Franklin Street, currently has no real street frontage or parking. It’s adjacent to houses at 1 and 3 Sunrise.

The three houses have been extensively updated, but parking is an issue.

An application to the ZBA requests that a portion of the Sunrise lots be used to create a four-spot parking area for 58 Saugatuck. The driveway from Sunset would be widened and lead to the parking area, with a short staircase to the rear of 58 Saugatuck.

“58 Saugatuck Avenue is a conforming lot in a Residence “B” with an existing legally nonconforming two-family residence on a site which has no street frontage or access, and no on-site parking,” Gloria Gouveia of Land Use Consultants wrote in a hardship statement to the ZBA.

“The proposal will provide both street frontage and access to a new parking area with 4 new parking spaces and bring 58 Saugatuck into conformity with the applicable regulations.

“To do so, portions of the abutting properties at 1 and 3 Sunrise Road will be added to the lot area of No. 58 to accommodate the construction of a new driveway and parking area,” Gouveia wrote.

“One of the purposes of zoning is to do away with non-conformities whenever possible, and regarding the vehicular access and parking deficiencies at 58 Saugatuck Avenue, this application meets that objective,” she wrote.

The board meets next Feb. 28, but the application is not on its agenda.

Thane Grauel, executive editor, grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond more than three decades. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.