Rochester resident Steven Alves moved one step closer to building a home for his daughter after being granted a variance by the Zoning Board of Appeals to move forward with the planning process.

On February 23, the Zoning Board granted the variance to construct a house on the adjacent lot to his home located at 281 Mattapoisett Road.

Alves has owned both properties since 1989.

Alves said he plans to build a house for his family by dividing his 3.9-acre lot into two parcels.

“What we want is a buildable lot for my daughter and for my future son-in-law,” Alves said.

The vacant lot, which rests on 1.6 acres of the 3.9-acre property, falls short of the 2-acre requirement for construction as stated in the zoning bylaws.

The Zoning Board members granted the variance on the condition that the proposed house meets with the frontage requirements, which state that any proposed buildings be located at least 225 feet from the road.

The plans that Alves has submitted have met with this requirement.

This condition of the variance prohibits Alves from filing a request for another variance if the frontage of the home is changed during the planning stages.

Zoning Board member Benjamin Gilmore said that Alves still would have to meet with the town’s Building Department to move forward with his plans to build the house.

Though, he said, the plans as they exist are acceptable to the board.

“These are unique circumstances,” Gilmore said. “I think this is one of those classic examples of someone doing everything right.”

The Zoning Board will file their formal, written decision with the Town Clerk, after which the abutters of the property have 20 days to appeal the decision.