Fall River Daycare/preschool expansion, auto repair shop, 9 housing units proposed

The City of Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 6:00pm in the first floor Hearing Room, One Government Center.

OLD BUSINESS 

Applicant: LITTLE HANDS COLLEGE, INC. 

c/o Atty David M. Assad 

551 Rock Street, Map O–02 Lot 6 

The applicant is requesting a Special Permit to allow the following: 

1.Relief from Section 86-441, waiving parking requirements pursuant to Section 86- 445. 

2.Relief from Section 86-450, to erect a sign for the purposes of identifying the business pursuant to section 86-454. 

The property is located within an “R-4” (Two Family) Zoning District 

Little Hands College is a daycare/preschool currently located at 332 Brownell Street and is looking to expand.

Members of the public expressed concerns over no off-street parking and disturbing the historic character of the area.

The matter was tabled at the September 18th Zoning Board of Appeals meeting as clarification concerning coding was needed.

The matter was tabled again in October to November’s meeting as clarification concerning coding is still needed.

NEW BUSINESS 

Applicant/ Owner: River Investment Properties LLC 

c/o Peter Bemis 

421 East Main Street, Map G–15 Lot 69 

The applicant is requesting a Variance to allow the following: 

1. To construct a six-unit apartment building, waiving the lot area/ unit requirement on an existing conforming parcel of land. 

The applicant is requesting a Special Permit to allow the following: 

2. To reconstruct, expand, extend an existing non-conforming structure waiving lot coverage, side, and rear yard setback requirements pursuant to section 86-426B. 3. To construct a parking facility waiving dimensional requirements in accordance with 86-445 

The property is located within an “A2” (Apartment) Zoning District. 

Applicant/ Owner: River Investment Properties LLC 

c/o Peter Bemis 

756 Second Street, Map I–13 Lot 33 

The applicant is requesting a Variance to allow the following: 

1. Construct a Two–family dwelling on a non-conforming parcel of land waiving, area, frontage, side setback, rear setback, lot coverage and parking space size requirements. 

The property is located within an “A2” (Apartment) Zoning District. 

Applicant: Jeffrey Johnson 

Owner: JH Holdings Group LLC 

4 Bronson Street, Map C–16 Lot 108 

The applicant is requesting a Variance to allow the following: 

1. Relief from Section 86-35 Table of Dimensional Regulations, waiving rear yard setback requirement to allow a recently constructed deck to remain in place. This is an after the fact filing. 

The property is located within a “R-8” (Single Family) Zoning District. 

Applicant/ Owner: Bethany Sharp 

c/o Atty Peter A. Saulino 

104 Lawton Street, Map E–10 Lots 35 & 36 

The applicant is requesting a Variance to allow the following: 

1. Relief from lot coverage and front yard setback requirements to allow the construction of a proposed Single-Family dwelling. 

2. Relief from front and side yard setback requirements to convert the existing nonconforming dwelling into an ADU. 

The property is located within an “R-8” (Single Family) Zoning District. 

Applicant: Fall River Auto Repair LLC 

Owner: Driftway Farm Estate LLC 

c/o Jeff Tallman 

30 Bodge Street, Map L–09 Lot 70 

The applicant is requesting a Special Permit to allow the following: 

1. To reestablish the former ‘automobile repair’ use of the property pursuant to Section 86-428B. 

The property is located within an “S” (Single Family) Zoning District and a “G” (General Residence) Zoning District.