Gloucester ZBA Approves Office-to-Housing Conversion, Rejects Full Parking Elimination Downtown

GLOUCESTER -- April 24, 2025, Gloucester's Zoning Board of Appeals approved a downtown office-to-housing conversion and two residential additions while turning back a proposal to eliminate all parking at a Main Street restaurant site. The board, meeting April 24 at the Rose Baker Senior Center with Chair Joe Parisi and members Michael Nyman, Peter Cannavo, and Ron Wilson, voted unanimously to allow a two-family conversion of the long-vacant office building at 320 Main Street after concluding that two residential units would likely generate less traffic than the commercial uses permissible by right, despite the absence of any off-street parking. Attorney Aiden Church of Seaside Legal Solutions represented applicant Raymond Young, whose proposal drew a mixed public response centered on parking concerns. Tom Aurelio, owner of the soon-to-open Salute Day restaurant, withdrew his request to turn 272 Main Street's entire 10-space lot into outdoor dining after Parisi observed, "I've been on this board 18 years. I've heard reduced parking, one or two spots. To remove all the parking in a downtown area is a difficult choice." The board also continued Young's separate detached-ADU application at 162 Western Avenue to June 12, requiring him to stake out the proposed structure so members could physically inspect the site.