December 16, 2019 by Carol Britton Meyer (Photos courtesy of Peter Dennigan)
The owner of the 1873 single-family residence at 1142 Main Street (with additions added later and recent major renovations) would like to open a Bed & Breakfast establishment in part of the dwelling.
The nearly-4,000-square-foot house, complete with a garage and barn, sits on a 7.71-acre lot abutting conservation land on the north side. The dwelling currently has six bedrooms -- with one of them currently being used as an office and another that may not remain a bedroom, according to owner Peter Dennigan - and a well-lit circular driveway. Parking would be on-site. No exterior work is planned.
He explained his proposal to the Planning Board Monday night as part of requesting a waiver of the normally-required site plan review (hoping to meet all the requirements last night so as to get the B&B up and running as soon as possible if approved) and also said he would like to rent three of the rooms to guests.
"The house has been renovated to high standards, and I thought I could do something with it rather than have much of it remain empty," he said. "It's very fortunate that there's so much space around the house."
While the board did not grant the waiver -- the sole purpose for Monday's hearing -- pending receipt of additional information, Chair William Ramsey had good things to say about the overall plan.
"I think this is a wonderful proposal, and I love the idea of it," he told Dennigan. "Just because we didn't grant the waiver doesn't mean that we won't be working with you in the future to help make this a success."
Ramsey went on to explain that site plan review is part of the permitting process to help ensure that "[the plan as approved] following the hearing process works well and protects abutters."
Once Dennigan has compiled additional information to present to the Planning Board, another public hearing will be held about the proposal.
B&B regulations
According to town zoning regulations -- which were written "to ensure sensitivity and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhoods in residentially-zoned districts through minimizing adverse impacts on neighboring residential uses" -- in order to be considered for a potential B&B conversion, the residence must be owner-occupied; have a minimum of four bedrooms, with a maximum of three used for a B&B but not more than half of the number of existing bedrooms as of March 10, 1941; the dwelling must be the primary and legal residence of the owner; no more than six guests are allowed to lodge there at any one time; the term of any guest's stay must not exceed 14 days; and any special permit authorizing such a use could not be transferred to a subsequent property owner.
The B&B owner is also required to file an affidavit with the Building Commissioner and Town Clerk on an annual basis in the month of January stating that the property is the principle residence of the owner and that the owner be in residence at all times during which the B & B is operated. If not filed, the special permit issued for the B&B becomes null and void.
The single-family dwelling in which the B&B operation is located must be maintained so that the appearance of the buildings and grounds remain as such.
No cooking facilities are allowed -- including stoves, microwave or toaster ovens, or hotplates. No meals except for a continental breakfast may be served to guests nor may alcohol be served to them on the premises. At least one bathroom must be dedicated to B&B use.
History behind B&B regulations
According to the town by-law, B&B regulations were adopted to encourage the utilization of homes in residential and business-zoned districts which because of their size are costly/difficult to maintain as private residences and "to provide an economic incentive to maintain and to rehabilitate older, larger residences."
Looking back, Janet and Terry McNulty were granted approval to open a B&B not far from Hingham Square in an historical home on Emerald Street in May 2013.
Several years ago the owners of the historic Hersey House on North Street in the downtown area withdrew their application to operate a B&B there.
There were a couple of other B&Bs in Hingham quite a few years ago that are no longer open.
Great idea !