Peabody board upholds ADU setback ruling

Board of Appeals · Meeting of May 18, 2026

Peabody's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 to uphold a building inspector's letter requiring larger setbacks for an accessory dwelling unit at 11 Bristol Road. Attorney John Kelty, representing owner John Wojcik, argued state law's protected ADU statute required only 10-foot side yards rather than the 20 feet the inspector demanded, warning the dispute "will end up in the Superior Court." The board also approved, 5-0 each, variances for a Five Below sign at 300 Andover Street (150 square feet versus the 75 allowed), a porch at 12 Esquire Drive, and an addition at 13 Baldwin Street. A fourth application, for 2 Danforth Street, was withdrawn without prejudice after board members said the project's presentation did not match its written application.

A separate motion to reconsider a prior decision on 23 Lynn Street failed 2-3.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Peabody's community access TV: Board of Appeals meeting, May 18, 2026
• The complete report: 860 words

Source: the Board of Appeals meeting of May 18, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.