MARION — It’s back to the Planning Board for the Arnold and Sherman Briggs development, but it’s also progress after the Zoning Board approved a setback variance for the site. 

Owners of the Briggs Development had applied for a setback variance to build 27 single story houses in a development at the end of Spring Street near the Baldwin Brothers. They had begun planning the development when the setback requirement was 10 feet. The requirements changed to 20 feet during the development process, and made 14 of those units not conform with the standards. 

Briggs also plans to build the required three affordable housing units on a nearby lot that also required a setback variance. The Zoning Board approved both variances unanimously on March 21, with the condition that the applicant continue to work with the Planning Board. 

Developers have been working with the Planning Board on the project for years, and have the support of that board. However they needed a site-specific Zoning Board variance to fix the setback problem, since an earlier Town Meeting effort to change the setbacks for the Residential E district, where the project is located, failed. 

The project first appeared before the Zoning Board on Feb. 22, but was continued twice to allow absent members of the board to consider the project. 

“This is a necessary step to let the planning board do what they need to do and move forward,” said Zoning Board Chair Marc LeBlanc.