The city of Boston zoning board of appeal hearing for May 6, 2025 is now in session. This hearing is being conducted in accordance with the applicable provisions of the open meeting law, including the updated provisions enacted by the legislature this year. The new law allows the board to continue its practice of holding virtual hearings
through June 2027. This hearing of the board is being held remotely via the Zoom webinar event platform and is also being livereamed. In order to ensure this hearing of the board is open to the public, members of the public may access this hearing through telephone and video
conferencing. The information for connecting to this hearing is listed on today's hearing agenda, which is posted on the public notices page of the city's website, boston.gov. Members of the public will enter the virtual hearing as attendees, which means you will not see yourself on the screen, and you will be muted throughout unless administratively
unmuted when asked to comment. Board members, applicants, and their attorneys or representatives will participate in this hearing as panelists, and they will appear alongside the presentation materials when speaking. Panelists are strongly encouraged to keep video on while presenting to the
board. As with our in-person meetings, comments and support will be followed by comments in opposition. The order of comments is as follows. Elected officials, representatives of elected officials, and members of the public. The chair may limit the number of people called upon to offer comment and the time for commenting as time constraints
require. For that reason, the board prefers to hear from members of the public who are most impacted by a project. That is, those individuals who live closest to the project. If you wish to comment on an appeal, please click the raise hand button along the bottom of your screen in the Zoom webinar platform. Click it again and
your hand should go down. When the host sees your hand, you will receive a request to unmute yourself. Select yes and you should be able to talk. If you are connected to the hearing by telephone, please press star 9 to raise and lower your hand. You must press star six to unmute yourself after you receive
the request from the host. Those called upon to comment will be asked to state their name and address first and then provide their comment. In the interest of time and to ensure that you have enough time to do so, please raise your hand as soon as Mr. Stebridge reads uh reads the address
into the record. Do not raise your hand before the relevant address is called or the meeting host will not know to call on you at the appropriate time. Mr. Stebridge. Good morning, Madam Chair. President. Good morning, Mr. Valencia. Good morning, Madam Chair. Present. Good
morning, Miss Weell. Good morning, Madame Chair. Present. Good morning, Mr. Langum. Good morning, Madam Chair. Present. Good morning, Mr. Aken. Morning, Madam Chair. President, good morning. And Miss Panado. Good morning,
Madam Chair. Present. Good morning. Floor is yours, Mr. Stebridge. Thank you, Madam Chair. We'll begin with the building code cases scheduled for 9:30 a.m. First, we have case BOA 1
169 6076 with the address of 421 East 6th Street. If the applicant andor their representative are present, would they please explain to the board? Hi, I'm Michael Welsh here for the um
for the applicant in this case. Uh please proceed. So this uh um the board approved the project. This is a project that we needed um relief under for the um to
build a building taller than the buildings that are being demolished. Um Can you hear me? Yes. Okay. So, I'm not sure if we actually need the relief for this. There was a little confusion. This is just for the um the relief that's
required because the roof decks have access hatches to to be accessed instead of full height headous. the the board has already approved the project and um in working with um Frank Dato at the plan examiner
um there's one building code that one building code we relief that we need is for the not having the full height headous and we have I filed this appeal with the ZBA and then Mr. Diamato said that we don't need to go in front of the
ZBA again. We just get go to the state board. So we we if the project is already approved, we're doing two phase. It's approved. We took the roof decks off to get the building permit issued so they can get started while um we appeal to the state board for the relief for
that. That's been filed with the state board. But um I just wanted to leave it on the agenda and you know get your thoughts in case you disagreed with that interpretation. Thank you. Questions from the board. Hearing no questions from the
board. Is someone prepared to make a motion? I guess I'll make a motion. A motion to approve. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Stumbridge, are you on mute, Mr. Stumbridge?
I see. I apologize, Madam Chair. Yes. You're on two devices, Mr. And I'm trying I'm trying to get off one. Understood. Thank you. Okay, Mr. Vonsia. Yes, Miss We
Mr. Langham. Yes, Mr. Aken. Yes, Miss Ponado. Yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries. Good luck. Thank you. at case BOA
1699255 with the address of 320 Washington Street. Was the applicant and or their representative present? Please explain to the board. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the board. Uh
Doug Anderson with C3 Rimus. Um I was engaged last week on this particular matter. The ISD refusal letter um dating March well sites the um a building code
provision which we don't feel is correct. But that being said, we'll let the board determine. Um this is an existing daycare uh which wants to now include infants uh and toddlers less than 2 years 9 months old. The building
code classifies that as a group I4. You can see it right center on the plan of the of the co the previous plan right there. Right center it says argument declassification I4 daycare. This is on the second story. We can see there's two means of egress um off of this
particular floor. the refusal letters cite um a group E requirement where this classification for infants could be classified as group E if you're at grade and each of the rooms has an exit directly out of the building. We don't
have that here. Um so we are required to classify as group I4. So we have no intention of asking to classify this as group E. So that being said, um I'll leave it up to the board whether to whether they feel we need a variance for
this or whether um my inter our interpretation on our side is in fact correct and uh negate the ISD refusal. However, however the board determines the best avenue to get this resolved.
Questions from the board? What are we asking? What are we being asked to approve? It's it's unclear now. Doug Anderson, yes, that's a good question. Uh, Miss Panado, the ISD refusals is assuming that we're trying
to classify this as a group E educational use. Uh, group E is typically grades, you know, K through 12 and in and daycare over two years, 9 months. We don't have that here. We have infants and toddlers under 2 years, 9
months, which is an I4 institutional classification. We're on the second floor and we have two means of egress. In other words, what is on this plan that we're seeing is fully compliant with the building code. Um, as opposed to ISD's interpretation
of a less restrictive classification. Um, I believe that they're incorrect, but again, I guess you can either overrule YSD's refusal. I don't feel we need a variance. So, I'm not sure what other avenue the board would wish to take on this other than
affirming that our our interpretation is correct. Are you with us? Yes, madame chair. Um so I would suggest um if um you see fit to approve um the
suggested variance even though council um would like an interpretation it sounds like. Okay. Other questions from the board hearing? None. Is there a motion?
A motion to approve. You have a second. Second, Mr. Stebridge. Yes, Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss We will. Anyone else? No. I'm just not I would rather they work it out with
inspectional services instead of us being asked to um sort of wave building code. doesn't seem like the issue here is the um conflict of kind of opinion between
the two parties. I just um especially with the use with children, I'm not comfortable. So, no. Thank you, Mr. Lang. Uh no, Mr. Aken. Yes. Miss Pado, yes. Chair
votes yes. The motion carries. Thank you, Madam Chair. Correction from the record. I am not counsel. I'm I'm co-consultant. Thank you. Next, we'll move on to the hearing schedule for 9:30 a.m. And we'll ask at this time if there
are any requests for withdrawals or deferrals from the 9:30 a.m. hearing. hearing none. We have we have one hand up. And for which case is that Jim Cody, do you wish to
uh ask for a withdrawal or deferral? Which for which case? Jim. Jim Coden has his hands up. Jim Katigan, are you here to request a withdrawal or deferral? If not, can you put your hand down? He's on mute. Okay, I proceed.
So with that, we'll move on to case BOA 166 34 21 with the address 869 Saratoga Street. If the applicant and or their representative are present, will they
please explain to the board? I have this is uh Michael Welsh um on behalf of the applicant can. Okay. So, this is a a bit of a unique situation in that the permit application was filed under the previous
uh code version of the code for East Boston. We had an idea that um the code was changing and tried to you know design it to to be somewhere um kind of an anticipation of of what the code would
be approved at. So I have a little bit of analysis that just shows the variances that are required under according to the refusal letter which is under the old code and then also under the amended code which would we would require fewer variances but the um the
owner of the property Mosfi and his wife have have a child and they have their parents intend to come and live with them. So this was uh designed to have free units uh for them to use uh for their family. The
slides you want are there slides you want to refer to as you speak? It would be helpful to help the ambassador know where to scroll. Sure. Right. I'll I'll So this one's fine now because I'll just explain what's on the current site and then we'll go to the next one. Um currently on the site there's a
single family dwelling um somewhat dilapidated. Um the the the the structures on the uh adjacent lots are very close to they're within 1 and 1/2 ft of the lot lines but not close enough
where it could uh it could be attached to them. Um if they could have been could have been attached then there would be no need for a sideyard. So that has to do with the sideyard um requirement. And as you can see with the
um house situated where it is now due to the um the width of the lot, there's no way to get off street parking onto the property and there is not any currently. So that's something that we wanted to address. If you go to the next page,
um so this would be the the proposed structure which is it's a four story structure. The reason it's four stories is cuz the first story uh is to allow for a driveway that goes underneath with
a um one parking space underneath the structure and then two parking spaces in back to have one for each unit. And there's also an um an ele elevator. So there's a small elevator lobby so that um which the purpose of the elevator is
to allow um the parents to move in and be able to get up to the to the um in the future. If you go to the next slide, the exterior is a little this is a better um shows the parking a little bit better here in the elevator lobby that I was
mentioning. So again, this is the reason for it being four stories. Also because the um property is in a flood hazard district. So elevating the um the first story of living space was also seemed to
be a good idea for that reason. And go down to the next one. We'll see an elevator. So these these are the units. Again, first floor is just the driveway, the elevator, lobby, and stairs. And then each of the
units um has two bedrooms um two bathrooms and a back deck which is the um second mean of of eress. And then on the left you can see that's the intention is to utilize the existing basement of the existing
structure just to have put some of the mechanicals down there as well as have some storage uh spaces. Okay, the next slide. Yeah, I'll be if I need you. I'll get you. Um, we did we did um so through the
community process, we did have discussions with um the neighbor who would be to the right of this and we have a revised plan. I don't know if it got to to the ZBA, but um we made some minor adjustments to this
to allow on the first floor to allow um there to be an alley between the adjacent uh structure and this structure so that they can continue to use that to access their rear yard and um storage of
uh trash cans and things like that. And if you want to go down to the next one, we just see the other elevate. Um, some of the other that's the re So that's the rear elevation there showing the the decks. And it does have a a roof deck. Um, and I just just to give you somewhat
of a comparison. Um under the new code, the amended code, um there would be no uh variance required for the additional lot area per per unit. Um we would be compliant with the floor area ratio and there would be
no variance required for usable open space or for the minimum front yard. And because the new code does doesn't wouldn't require any um parking spaces for a 3-unit building, a three-unit building with no
parking could be built um by right, three stories tall. and he wants they want the owners they want to use this for for their family instead of having it be just a you know a three-unit type of rental property because the units and the layouts and
the lack of parking wouldn't work for them for their own family. So they're trying to get this uh you know approved for to to have it for their own personal use as owner occupants. But the alternative would be to redesign it as a three-unit uh building, keep it as a
rental property and do that by rent. So those are the reasons that they are seeking relief from the board uh for the project and just see if anyone has any questions. Any questions from the board? Madam Chair, I have a quick question. So my
understanding is the ask is that you were looking to eliminate one parking space from the property that for under the previously approved and under construction plans, right? Um no I think the the existing the plans
all have three parking spaces unless Okay. So I think Okay. Um all right. No more questions from me. I think any other questions from the board. Is this already under construction?
No, this is this is proposed. So we there's there's uh the single family uh houses on the property now. So that would be demolished and this would be a new um a new building. All right. Yeah. I guess I'm confused because the information we have from the planning department indicates that this must be a different project. So I don't
know if Jeff Hampton is is here. I mean this this just uh seems to be what was presented from the planning department. This is 869 Saratoga. Uh so it looked like it was just a waiver for changing one parking space. So I don't think I have any further questions now. Just wasn't
consistent with the information we also had. Okay. With that public testimony. Good morning madam chair, members of the board. My name is Eva Jones representing the mayor's office and neighborhood services regarding 869 Saratoga Street. Our office will defer to the board's judgment on this matter. A community
process was conducted, including on a budder's meeting held on Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, which was attended by two constituents. Uh the primary feedback from this meeting was some concerns from neighbors about construction vehicles and the setbacks being requested by the applicant, which the applicant did address in his changes
just recently. Now, as explained, uh excuse me. Additionally, the proposal was reviewed with the Oran Heights Neighborhood Association which con which uh stood in opposition of the proposal and they voted zero in favor and 10 opposed. At this time, the mayor's office of neighborhood services differs
to the board's judgment on this matter. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Good morning, madam chair, members of the board from councelor K as a park office. At this time, based on not being in line with planning sponsor acquisition, the council would like to a
position on this project. Thank you. Thank you. Any other raised hands with that? May I have a motion? I see Bob De Mo has his hand up. Uh Bob. Uh yes, Madam Chair, members of the
members of the board. Bob Bob De Mo. um transportation and basically um I think three cars parked in this um um parking area uh causes concern from BTD perspective because the curb cuts
going to be required to be 20 ft um because of the cars parking side by side and 20 ft's a little bit uh too wide for a curb cut in this location. So, I like to recommend that they remove one space
so we can have a curb cut of 12 feet and improve maneuverability. Um, al also I'm concerned about the uh exiting of a vehicle uh this close to the rear of the sidewalk and I think an audio and visual
alarm should be required uh to satisfy the persons with disabilities act. And um that's about all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you. We have one one more testimony. Luke,
good morning uh members of the board and chairman uh chairperson uh Luke Fandueli. I'm the owner of 867 Saratoga. I am the butter. um alarms and uh notifications outside my bedroom door
window uh is uh is something of a little bit alarming. Uh but as the abund you know I I live in a house on a 25 ft lot and my house is 20 ft 20 ft wide. Um so we have
uh 2 and 1/2 ft on each side of our property line. I I I don't I don't uh I don't think that this this uh this project being this close to my property line uh is appropriate. Um there are several
variances that I raise concern uh as as no relief for um the structured depth and the shadowing that will occur. Uh he's got uh I believe 20 feet on his plans plus the 10 10 ft for for the stairwell uh
will shadow uh my property considerably. Uh my my rear is south facing and the windows uh on the are only on the rear and the front of my building. Uh so that's how uh the front of my house gets
sun. Um the structure elevation in the rear uh I don't know if you guys know if you all know but my property is one off the corner which is the corner of Westbrook. The Westbrook elevation and
my yard elevation are are the same maybe slightly high higher for drainage. And then uh 869's elevation is about 3 and 1/2 ft down. Uh so the concern there would be um added square footage of this
large structure. Uh where is this rain going? What's the retention plan? Uh how is that going to be executed properly? All kinds of other um the area. I also have a concern with
the structure being built that close to a retaining wall. Uh there is no plan to underpin uh shore up uh and I have I just have more than a few concerns with the proximity to the property line, the
depth of the building. Uh I'm not really concerned with the height. Uh but it is the depth. Uh, and by right, if this person has a right to build uh per per the code and current zoning, um, I have
no I have no objection. And I I do want to preface that uh, as an abuter to this the current property. I do welcome a family coming in here. I'm not opposed to that. I I want this person to have a happy home. Um I I just don't I just
think it's uh impeding um more than enough my own property. Thank you. Miss Weall, did you have your Yeah, I just sort of want to get to the bottom of the discrepancy we have that I think Mr. Aken and I noted. So, our
information indicates that the only zoning relief is a variance for parking or loading, but I see on the agenda the um there are, you know, a lot more sections cited for the zoning release.
So, I was wondering if Mr. Hampton could maybe answer some of our confusion. No, I can't. I I'm um getting involved with it right now and trying to get an answer for you. But right at this second, no.
Okay. Madam Chair, I could make a motion if you felt that was appropriate or if anyone else had questions. Um I'm not comfortable voting on it without knowing exactly the relief we're granting. So I'll move to defer to a later hearing date.
Is there a second? Second. Mr. Stebridge. Yeah, Mr. Valencia. Yes, Miss We. Yes, Mr. Langum. Yes, Mr. Aken. Yes, Miss Ponado. Yes. Chair
votes yes. The motion carries. Uh, is there a date, Caroline, you could provide? Yes. June 24th. Okay. So, we'll see the applicant then. June 24th. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Next we have case BOA 1661355 with the address of 18 Symphony Road. If the applicant and or their representative are present, would they please explain to the board? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Stebridge, and good morning,
Madam Chair, members of the board. Richard Linds with a business address at 245 Summer Street, East Boston. on behalf of the petitioner. Uh with me is Nick Landry who is the project architect. Uh Madam Chair, uh if we can just scroll down to maybe uh slide three
just to give us a little bit of perspective here. Yeah. So the proposal that's before the board is relatively straightforward and simple. Our uh uh petition uh seeks to change the legal accuracy from a single family to congregate living at 18 Symphony Road.
We recited for two items. First is G-COD because we are proposing uh to add parking to the rear of the building for two parking spaces. Uh and the G-COD uh threshold was triggered based upon the addition of 50 square ft of paved area.
Um we have provided both letters uh including the no harm letter and the Boston water and so commission uh approval. Uh so we believe that a conditional use permit is appropriate under article 32. The second item, if we want to jump down to um maybe slide
seven, just the refusal letter is um we were also cited for screening and buffering um because of the two off street parking spaces that we have. Article 66-40, Madam Chair, um the board may be aware of this, uh states specifically that it is intended to
enhance the appearance of the Fenway neighborhood district's commercial subdists uh and to ensure that the subdists are appropriately separated from the adjacent areas. Um because this property is located in the MFR district, that is not considered commercial. Uh
and our position is that the screening and buffering requirements do not even apply in this particular case. Uh regardless uh we do include I can show that at slide if we go to slide 19 uh we do have the illustration showing what the uh specific uh parking layout looks
like. I don't think we have any particular concern or issue with adding landscaping uh vegetation or fencing. Um, but I just wanted to point out for the board uh because it was cited in the refusal letter that we don't even believe the screening and buffering applicability um is is relevant in this
case because of uh the fact this is a residential district. Uh with that uh I will point out I know we do have the support of the Fenway Civic Association which we did appear before and present this project to uh and just to confirm for the board and on the record that
this is not an extension of Northeast University's uh operations uh off-campus housing. Uh rather this use would serve as a home for St. Paul's outreach as an independent Catholic organization that's aimed at promoting full-time um uh
residential missionaries and student leaders uh who build communities of faith. They're on college campuses throughout the country. Uh SPO operates roughly in 10 states about 18 college campuses and they provide students with opportunity continue uh with a Christian way of life while attending Colin. So, I
just want to make sure that was clear for the record because I know that was a specific concern of Fenway Civic. Uh, and we're happy to present that uh to the board on the record. Uh, with that, I'm happy to answer any questions or address any comments, but I believe this is a relatively straightforward um
presentation regarding GCOD and interpretation on screening and buffering. Thank you. Any questions from the board? Uh just to be clear, this building already has a lodging house license or something that allows congregate living. Well, congregate living is a separate
use than lodging through the chair. Congregate living is an allowed use in the district. So, uh congregate living would be the use, not lodging. Okay. Thank you. Other questions from the board? Hearing none, we have public
testimony. Madame Chair and board members, good morning. Sigy Johnson with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This petitioner completed the ONS community process. Our office hosted an abutterss meeting on September 17th of 2024 at which no concerns were raised
in relation to the violations that are before the board today. The Fenway Civic Association is in support of this application. With that background, we defer judgment to the board. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Simonelli. Morning, Madam Chair, members of the board. Christian Simonelli, Boston Growler Trust, and we
have both GOD letters from the applicant. Thank you. Thank you. Any other reason hands chair? Good morning madam chair, members of the board. This is Mina Perez representing the carpenter union. We want to go on record in support of this
project. Okay. Thank you. Will that may I have a motion? Apologies madam. Just one more raise hand. Brad Johnson. Hello boy. Um, my girlfriend and I actually own the building next door, the
top floor unit, and I manage the building at 20 Symphony Road. Um, the only question that we have from the neighbors is do these people know whether it's going to be just students that will be living there and is it undergrad or graduate?
Um, the chair, I can think I can answer that. I know this this question come during the community process. Uh, it is not just students living there. They do have um faith leaders who do also occupy the premises as part of the program. Um so this I believe the students include a
mix of both grad and undergrad. Thank you. With that, may I have a motion? Motion to approve. Is there a second? Yeah. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss Rio. Yes.
Mr. Langley. Yes. Mr. Aken, yes. Missado, yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries. Good luck. Thank you very much. Next, we have case BOA
1697843 with the address of 175 Newbury Street. If the applicant and or their representative are present, will they please explain the case to the board? Thank you, Mr. Stebridge. Can you hear me? All right. Yes, we can. Oh, thank you very much.
It's My name is Dennis Quilty. I'm an attorney representing the applicant for the use at the address of 175 Street. Um, the concept is to change legal occupancy from a retail uh use, which has been vacant for some time, to a
cafe. Uh, with me this morning is Mr. Patrick Sue, who's the uh owner of the concept, which is Nana's Boston LLC, doing business as Nana's Green Tea, which is a proposed fullervice Japanese
restaurant and cafe. Uh limited to 21 seats inside. There is no outdoor seating. The uh operating hours are proposed to be 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 7 days a week. Um so again it's a change from retail to
restaurant and we have gone through the community process having not been required to do an ONS and butters meeting but rather to flyer only having met with the neighborhood association of the back bay uh on March 3rd who gave us a letter of
non-opposition and uh again we're here to answer any questions the board may have. Thank you. Thank you. Are there questions from the board? Hearing none. May I have public testimony? Madam Chair and board members, C. Johnson with the mayor's office of
neighborhood services. This petitioner completed the ONS community process. Our office requested distribution of anformational flyer to every block within 300 ft of the address in question, which solicited no comments to our office. The neighborhood association of the Back Bay is in non opposition to
this proposal. With that background, we defer judgment to the board. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Courage. Good morning, Madame Chair, members of the board. This is Samantha Courage on behalf of councelor Derkens's office.
The counselor would like to go on record in support of the proposal. NAP, the community group in our district um sent a letter that they would not oppose the proposal. So, that being said, the council is in support. Thank you. Thank you, Sam.
Any other raised hands? Hearing none. May I have a motion? Make a motion to approve. There a second. Second. Mr. Stebridge. Yeah. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss Reo? Yes.
Mr. Langum? Yes. Mr. Eeken? Yes. Miss Panado? Yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries. Good luck. Thank you. Next is case
B869 29 66 with the address of 81 South Huntington Avenue. If the applicant and or their representative are present, would they please explain the case to the board? Uh good morning, Mr. Secretary. Uh, attorney Joe Hanley,
McDermott, Quilty Miller, and Hanley, 28 State Street in Boston. Uh, good to be with you, Madam Chair, and members of the board. Uh, if I may take you through this presentation, Madam Chair. Um, and I believe the ambassador is
pulling it up now. Um, so, uh, just some background here. Um, the applicant is Victory Programs, Inc., which is a Jamaica plane uh based uh nonprofit uh service provider with 50 years of
experience uh in working and assisting folks with homelessness and uh into permanent housing uh in the region. They are seeking to change uh the use and occupancy of the existing structure at
81 Huntington Avenue, I'm sorry, 81 South Huntington Avenue in Jamaica Plane uh to a uh homeless shelter use for which it has been utilized since 2021 uh originally as a hotel. Uh this
is was once the envision hotel and prior to that for many years it was the pawn view nursing home and with state funding uh it was operated for emergency accommodation. Uh from 2021 it was acquired with city funding and
participation and by a city contract with mayor's office of housing. uh they are looking to continue to provide services uh to uh individuals for a low threshold shelter use. Um here with me
is Sarah Porter who's the president and CEO of Victory Programs as well as Gabrielle Shelburn who's principal with Studio G Architects. This is an internal change of use only. So there's no construction or expansion. It's just a
use issue. Uh also with us which I think is important uh we've brought on to our team is Daniel Linsky uh from Croll. He is a security and public safety consultant uh with uh spent 28 years with the Boston Police Department most
recently as the superintendent chief and uh after that helped to uh relaunch and expand Croll uh with its security and public safety consultancy. So his depth of experience has helped us continue to
uh process this with the neighbors and the city to make sure that it operates in compliance with the conditional use requirements. Next slide, please. So um I actually just covered this for you. If you go to the next slide, Madame Chair, um the location uh
which you'll see here uh in the circle 81 South Huntington is in an institutional uh neighborhood institutional subdist uh and one VA1 directly across the street from uh the VA medical center and just down the
street from uh Mount Pleasant Nursing Home. And uh the headquarters for VPI is at 404 South Huntington. So this is very much a local operation with uh hands-on uh management and oversight. Uh next
slide, please. So, um I I bring this up because the use uh the homeless shelter use sorry homeless shelter use is allowed uh at this location subject to
compliance with the conditional use permit requirements not a variance. Uh what is being requested is actually a change from one conditional use uh to the other which helps to guide the findings uh for compliance. again uh
previously a hotel from 2012 uh to the pandemic and prior to that a nursing home use. The facility is entirely appropriate for this use. Uh as I had mentioned uh we are proposing to continue to operate as an emergency
shelter for individuals. uh the hotel being set up as uh rooms, 41 uh rooms which will be uh repurposed for 55 um individuals. And so the facility is is not just appropriate
but ideal for this. substituting the non-conforming hotel use uh for a use that is not more objectionable and working through the neighborhood process that it's not adversely impactful to the neighborhood. We've had a very spirited
discussion with lots of folks in the neighborhood. Uh the standard isn't whether a homeless shelter is appropriate for this use. The question is whether it is managed by uh an established organization with strict protocols in order to operate
responsibly and that's exactly uh what VPI has done since 2021 and what it will continue to do as guided through the community process. Next slide please. So you'll see our refusal letter again
for the conditional use permit. Um and in comp further compliance uh with with the code um we have a series of which you'll see here staff and training support intake and placement procedures
uh security measures data collection uh security standards and 247 on-site management. Um, with that, I would like to hand it off to Sarah Porter to tell you a little bit of more about uh VPI and how they will run and continue to be
a responsible operator at this location. Sarah, Madame Chair, Sarah Porter is muted. Hi, I'm Sarah Porter. I'm the president and CEO of Victory Programs. It's nice to be here with you. Could we flip to the next slide? I don't think that I can do it. Yeah, this is a little bit as um
Joe said of who we are and what we do. Victory Programs has been part of the Boston community for just over 50 years. Uh we do we specialize in work of addressing issues of homelessness, addiction treatment, and chronic health conditions. We operate just about 27 programs throughout Boston proper. Uh we
operate drop-in centers, community centers, day programs, individual and family shelters, as well as permanent supported housing. We can move to the next slide. Um, as Joe had shared, this these next group of slides relate specifically to the
program that we operate at 81 South Huntington. We refer to it as Visions of Victory. We opened that program in November of 2021. There is staff on site 247, 365 days a year. Staff includes a dedicated program director, program manager, social worker, a team of
recovery support specialists, case managers. There's a building supervisor specifically dedicated to that program as well as a housekeeper. Um, the front door is locked, well, both doors, the front and the back are locked at all times. Anyone who wants to enter that building has to be buzzed in by the
staff through the front door. And there is a state-of-the-art security system that monitors both the inside and outside of that building. Staff do rounds in the building kind of, you know, working with individuals who are living there. um basically hourly throughout the entire building as well
as outside of the building between the hours of 7 am and 11 pm to ensure both safety inside and outside of the building as well as cleanliness. We can flip to the next slide. So in terms of the process of who is living in that building, as Joe said,
there are 55 individuals that are living there now. Um there is no length of stay um requirement. they stay until they move to permanent supported housing outside of that building. So when a individual moves in, they go through a
long intake process. They meet with the program director. They're referred through the Boston Public Health Commission. And before they even arrive, we've started sort of the collaboration process of getting to know them. Everyone goes through an orientation process. They review a program handbook.
the review of rules more than once, the guidelines really to help someone get um accustomed into what what life is going to look like while they live at Visions of Victories. There are no guests allowed in um the program. If you have a guest, they need to be there for
official business and they they visit in the lobby. Um if you've ever been in that hotel, it's still very there's a front lobby area where they used to serve breakfast that function still as our lobby. Individuals can come in there. um if they're meeting with someone for benefits, if they're meeting
with someone potentially through child welfare, if they're meeting with, you know, a um whatever service they're meeting with, it happens in that lobby. There are no guests allowed in individual rooms. There's no smoking allowed inside the building or in front of the building. There is in the back
where the parking is, we have built a small kind of sitting area underneath the building and that is where people are allowed to smoke. people at this point only enter and exit through the front door. I will say we in based on some of the community feedback we've received during this process um we're
looking at can that particular policy change and can people exit through the back door as opposed to through the front and walking down the alley and smoking in the back and back up. So that is something we're looking at. We don't want to compromise safety of the building inside or outside but we're examining that. So next
slide. So just uh some of the outcomes that have happened in this program since November of 2021, 208 individuals have lived in that building. 65 people have graduated or moved into permanent housing. 34 people have moved into what
we call transitional housing or nonshelterbased housing. 16 people have completed an inpatient substance use treatment program. 53 people have started medication assisted treatment for substance use. 53 people have also engaged with mental health services and
60 people have started outpatient substance use services. We have a team of physicians that comes in and provides medical care on site that are able to start people as they you know are interested on medication assisted treatment rate at that service. Uh we bank heavily on victory programs network
internally as well as our long our broad um team of of external partners to really make sure we're meeting as many needs of individuals who are in there as poss who are living in that building as we possibly can. Uh next
slide. So as Joe explained, we have a a pretty significant connection to Jamaica Plane. Our administration building is located right down the street at 404 South Huntington. We operate a program for families at um 221 South Huntington. It is a family sober living program.
Women who are coming out of substance use treatment who are reunifying with their children who are exiting the child welfare system at that program. They're living together for up to two years, securing housing and um employment stabilizing and their recovery. That
program is here as well. We also operate the Jamaica Plane Recovery Center which is on South Street, kind of at the other end of Jamaica Plane. It is a community-based program for individuals who are rec in recovery from substance use, from anything else. It's become quite a
um a welcoming and successful um piece of the community. Um next slide. So, in terms of some of our community engagement, we've done community engagement several different times around this process. um both when
we first moved into the program before we purchased the program and again at this time. We've also participated on an ongoing basis in community meetings both in Jamaica Plane as well as Mission Hill. The project lives almost specifically on the line between those
two uh communities. Um you'll see listed on the screen some of the community groups and organizations we've met with or been in touch with. Um we do have I assume there's a slide coming of this. We have a um invited individuals into the program if they're interested in
seeing it. We have a 24-hour um front desk phone if people want to call the front desk if they have concerns. We also have an email where people are able to email in if they have concerns about what's happening in the community or in that program themselves. The next
slide. So this is in response to some of the community feedback that we've heard over the past few weeks. We are going to be hosting community meetings kind of ourselves um that individuals we will put the schedule out individuals are welcome to attend and that will likely
be a mix of inperson and virtual again this is what I referenced before urgent matters or non-urgent matters people have access to u victory program staff who will respond in a timely manner next it'll hand it back to Joe thank you
madam chair just go ahead May I ask um yes ma'am the community meetings that you mentioned on the previous slide so that's a go forward in response to concerns from community or that's been ongoing no the ones that we will be hosting monthly that is starting okay
we've been attending we've been attending other community meetings and now we will host our own in addition yeah ma madam chair one thing I might I'd note on that is the Jamaica plane neighborhood council we are fortunate to have a pretty important and gerine venue
with um with their public service committee that meets once a month and it is actually charged with taking a look at um issues of you know neighborhood crime and and and the like and we were pleased to have a vote of support from the neighborhood council but more
importantly that provides um a really um important and I think ideal venue for us to continue this discussion and it's also why we brought on Mr. Linsky recently that um you know as we continue to operate we want to make sure that we
are uh listening to everyone and addressing things not not in a knee-jerk manner but in an actual datadriven uh manner so that um this this can continue to be a resource uh for people in need in a responsible way.
Questions from the board? Yeah, I got one one small question. It sound like a pretty uh nice project, but what's how are they going to maintain people from not gathering in front of the building? Yeah, I can address that. So,
um it there's a the staff who works in the building, there's a staff person who sits at the front door and so as as people come out, you know, there's a moment where people come outside and just sort of breathe in the fresh air or the sunshine and then maybe go around the back to have a cigarette or come
back inside. So the staff are monitoring that on an ongoing basis. We did have a community member suggest it might be nice to put chairs out front and you know that there be an actual sitting area. We've chosen to do that in the back as opposed to the front um just so
that we don't have a a group of people who are kind of hanging out on the front porch. So the staff monitor it and move people along as need be. It's kind of a it there's a a deep sense of partnership between the people who work there and the people who live there. It very much
is a community in that building because people stay for as long as they need to until they're ready to go to housing. People know each other and they live together. They they work together. And so it isn't a a it's not a a a punishment or it's not a scolding of hey you can't sit here. It's hey don't
forget please come on and go around to the back. So thank you. Other questions from the board? Madam chair I have two questions. Uh I think for Miss Porter to start. Um I understand the sort of low low barrier to entry low threshold piece there. C
can you articulate is there a certain point in time in which you know someone is is is no longer invited to live there if there are nuisances or other disruptions that are happening and and kind of how that's that's determined. Yeah. So there are a few um hard lines
in terms of we have um zero tolerance for um the dealing of narcotics in the program. That is a given and people will be asked to leave. Other than that, things are negotiated. As you can imagine, someone who is exiting street life after a significant amount of time.
It takes a minute. And so, we work through conflict. We work through uh you know, having not come home for two days and now you're coming back home. We work through having missed your case management experience. We work through having started substance use treatment
and stopped substance use treatment. We work through all of that to help people um succeed. There are people who have left of their own accord or there are people that have been asked to leave. We do not have a lot of very hard lines in order to help people have success. The one we do have Well, that's not true. We
have two. One is around violence inside the program and outside the program and the other is around um dealing. Question Mr. The second question is just uh a little bit more maybe for Mr. Hanley or or Sarah also um you've
brought uh Mr. Linsky on board. How how do how does the and that presumably is to to help a bit with you know possibly nuisance problems or you know adverse impacts would have Can I start first Joe before you respond? Yes ma'am. Um so a couple different things. So we've we've
been in conversation with lots of members of the community for a good amount of time. Of course as we've got ready for this hearing that's intensified a little bit. Um and one of the we're getting um a good amount of of feedback that people's quality of life
has been impacted. Um that isn't necessarily reflected in the data uh in terms of police reports, in terms of 311 calls, which doesn't necessarily mean it isn't true. You know, I hear what people are saying. Someone's been very clear of, you know, I I'm not reporting that
my Amazon package or my Uber Eats was stolen. So, I hear what you're saying, but I don't have the data. the data kind of our experience has been different and the data has been different and so therefore we can continue to be in conversation but at the same time okay
well not let's not just depend on our tapes let's bring this expert on for a short period of time to see if if he can you know bring something to light that we can address we want to be responsive to what the community is saying um but it it's complicated you know there's
some conversation around well people are loitering well call us and we will come get that person, but we don't receive the calls. And so there's a little bit of bringing him on um to help bridge that gap of if there are impacts in
people's quality of life, what can we do to help um what can we do to help or to ease that or what can we how can we address that? Yeah, Madam Chair, I think that my my question was partially answered. I just like to sort of finish getting an answer to it is that it sounds like Mr. Linsky is a is a
short-term uh uh partner on the project. This is not necessarily a long-term uh piece here. Well, you said you said Sarah said something about it being uh you know perhaps short-term. Yeah. And if I could just build on that question, you know, like the there there's a lot of comments
around security and safety. So, is there a long-term security plan component to it? Yes, Sarah. Um yeah. So, so we have um a security system that we actually just
upgraded the the having staff on site 247 is part of our security plan. Um we have only recently engaged with Mr. Linsky and so I can I see you have your hand raised, but in terms of short-term long-term, maybe I shouldn't have used the word shortterm to express that. We
kind of haven't gotten there yet. Um but the idea being if we need to be doing more despite what the data says then this would be the the key to that. So yeah and madam chair if I could just expand on that the the other piece is um
so that we're indexing actions with results if if we implement any changes. So from our understanding and experience this has been a success since 2021. uh we've heard that from the public safety uh committee from the
neighborhood group and other folks and you know most recently we've had more of a different discussion with uh some of the residential neighbors in the surrounding area that we want to be respectful of and if you look at the correspondence there's a series of items
and uh requests that they've made uh for us to integrate like a police detail and and expulsion rules and now my client has 50 years of great experience. Uh pairing that with Mr. Linsky, what we want to do before we agree to things
that may or may not serve uh the public good, uh we want to make sure we're doing it in a scientific and data-driven way. And so that's that's entirely what drives this. And uh and Mr. Linsky is obviously a great fit for that. And
that's compliant with the conditional use permit requirements as well. So before we briefly hear from Miss L Mr. Linsky, I just wanted to follow up with another uh comment that uh that Miss Porter had had made about the you know hard lines you had mentioned zero tolerance for drug dealing. So what
about drug use? No, that there is not a zero tolerance for that. We work with people around that. Okay, Mr. Linsky, briefly, and I know we have raised hands, so I just want to make sure uh we did get a lot of emails. So if there are folks who want to speak, I want to give them a chance to do so.
So briefly, Mr. Inski, what did you want to add? Yes, Madam Chair, members of the board. Uh, thank you. Um, so my my contract is actually phased. There's an initial contract to go in and see what the current situation is, what the current quality of life issues, concerns
are at the facility and in the surrounding locations. Uh, and then to look at the current security programs, policies, procedures, staffing, supplemental programs, and my job is to develop u an initiative that takes care of any issues in quality control programs. Then the third part of my
contract is to have an ongoing relationship for time afterwards where I'm assisting and responding to issues and concerns around this. I've got 28 years with the Boston Police Department. I know folks are saying outside consultants, but I've got a lot of relationship with community members and
I've been involved in a number of projects both as my former role uh overseeing uh the law enforcement u with Ed Davis in the in the city of Boston and also in my consulting role. I've worked in Jamaica plane to site cannabis locations and other uh locations around
the city uh where there's quality of life issues and concerns. And my job has always been to work with the neighbors to address them, to be responsive, and to make sure we're not missing something and seeing it with our eyes and and and missing the neighbors who are there 24 hours. My my job is hopefully to not uh
receive phone calls from people, but I'm more than willing and able to take phone calls and to respond whenever necessary uh as issues come up. Are there other questions from the board? Madam Chair, I have a question. Um so you've been operating at this site
since 2021. Um, can you give a ballpark of maybe number of complaints you've received from the community and maybe an instance where you did receive a complaint from the community and steps you took to address it or how it was
handled or resolved? Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. Sorry. Yeah. I will say one of the earliest complaints we received, which is is kind of a unique story. So, when the project first opened, there was a Boston police um
detail parked out front. And this one of the earliest pieces of community feedback we got was asking us to remove that police car. Um first, there was a the light on the top was kind of going 24/7. And second, they felt that it was stigmatizing. That was the f that's an
easy thing to comply to. You don't have to ask me twice to move the cruiser out of the front of our building. Um, we have I mean Joe referenced what he called the public service committee. We've been an active participant of the what we call the or what is called the
problem properties committee of um the Jamaica plane neighborhood group. We attend that monthly and we'll talk through any, you know, issue that has come up as, you know, somebody if there were was a syringe found, if there was
someone who was complaining about people being um, you know, loitering in their property. So, we we actually do um daily cleanup around the building. We've done it for a long time. We've escalated it, of course, in light of, you know,
some of the more recent um conversations. Over the past week, we've done a good solid kind of pretty big two block. Um we've spent two hours every day during that two block and we picked up eight syringes. Um so that's a little
bit of what we're talking about about we want to be responsive, but sometimes the data is not there kind of um referencing what the feedback is we're getting. We also do that in a mass and cast neighborhood and to create um like a parallel in that same time period of a week we picked up
331. Um so I'm not saying that even one is okay but to that's a way that we've been responsive and sort of you know are looking to to document what it is people are talking about and what it is people are experiencing. Is that helpful? Yeah,
thank you. I think, you know, working in zoning, I think there's always sort of issues, but we can't do anything about it until people file a formal complaint. So, I would just encourage everyone to sort of keep that in mind, and that's sort of the best avenue forward. So, no, that's my question. Thank you for Miss
We thank you for that because, you know, one of the things that we've learned in this process and as Sarah indicated, you know, there are strict good protocols and experience that have been utilized. So this is both backwards and forwardlooking. We're not just saying that oh we'll come up with this if we're
approved. Right. But having said that from the data standpoint as you said we only know uh what is brought to our attention or what we're out seeing. Right. So through the more recent outreach process you know we were informed that there's been an uptick in
crime as a result of VPI. Uh we researched the district police records and that is not at all the case. There were only a few complaints that uh were registered with police reports and none of them had anything to do uh with
anyone at the shelter. Now, as Sarah says, that's not to suggest that something else isn't happening. And then enter Mr. Linsky in our strong commitment uh which we are encouraged to do uh by the neighborhood council which voted to support this to say we want you
to have continued discussions. We can always get better, right? And that's what an organization with 50 years of experience will do. Let's open it up to public testimony. I would like to make sure I hear from our voters as well. Madam Chair, members of the board, Connor
Newman with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This time the mayor's office would like to go on record in support of this proposal. Uh some back information the community process ONS had done a butters meeting on March 31st. It was well attended. In that meeting there was a variety of opinions expressed. Uh there were many
who spoke in opposition and expressed concerns regarding uh an increase within what they felt was loitering uh discarded needles in the neighborhood litter antisocial behavior tied with public safety. Uh there are also residents who were neutral to the proposal uh and residents that also
spoke in support uh seeing that they did not see an increase in crime. Um we're pleased to hear that the applicant victory programs has pledged to do ongoing community meetings monthly uh going forward providing residents an opportunity to speak directly with staff
and raise specific concerns. Um they've also the applicant has met with the JPNC the Jamaica Play Neighborhood Council and secured their support. They also received support from state repano as well. Um we've received 15 letters in opposition from residents, some of them
immediate abutters. Uh we've received two letters in support. Uh but as to reiterate, uh we are in support of the proposal due to the critical services that they provide uh to unhoused residents and housed members of of Boston. Um and we're pleased that they're making steps uh to work more
closely with residents to address specific concerns. With that, we'll defer to the board. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, looks like we have seven people testifying. Try to get through as many of them. Please speak briefly and add new
information. Yeah, I don't know if you have a You may have elected officials speak too. Sorry. I don't hear any. So, if they come, they come, Mr. Hanley. But I want to make sure we get to the reser. This is Oh, this is Go ahead
then. No, no, you're the state rep. Uh, you go first, I think. So, this is state rep Sam Montano. My legislative aid, Carlos Rios, actually worked for my predecessor, Nika Eligard, who had been very involved in this project as well. He has um said that in the past, Victory
Programs has been incredibly supportive and responsive to the community. He's sees that trend continuing. I've also seen Victory Programs be responsive and to the community. We have a housing crisis. I'm sure the ZBA is very much aware of our housing crisis and so I cannot see any opportunity to turn down
access to housing particularly for folks who need um supportive services which is what this program will become. Um and so I encourage you to approve it. I understand that there are uh hesitations from the neighbors and the butters but we need to address the housing crisis and if folks have nowhere to live
they're going to continue to be on the streets and we're going to have other um complaints stemming in. Right. So, it's it's the chicken in the egg, but um at this time, I can see no reason why we should not approve more housing opportunities for folks, particularly folks who need supportive housing. So, I urge you to approve. Thank you. Thank
you. That's terrible. Councilor Weber, are you Yeah, thank thank you very much. Uh my name is Ben Weber. I'm the city council for District 6, uh which uh includes uh the Envision Hotel. I I'm I'm here to just express my
support for the conditional use permit for 81 South Huntington. Uh as the state rep said, you know, we've got people who are experiencing homelessness and addiction and this provides uh necessary support uh for them. Uh victory programs
have been providing services at the site already for uh for a lengthy period of time. And uh my understanding is that this uh conditional use permit will allow them to provide longer term housing for folks. Uh you know, I don't
I I I frequently drive, walk, and run by this location. Uh I don't see people gathered outside. Uh I've been to inside the building, spoken to victory programs. Uh and you know, I I think
there are legitimate concerns from neighbors. There are people who have substance abuse issues who are going in and out of the building. They're not loitering outside the building. There's, you know, you don't see the kinds of uh of things uh that, you know, uh you'd be
worried about in this kind of situation. Uh and I'm encouraged that Victory Programs is promising to engage with the community regularly and have community group meetings. Uh I I'm happy to participate in those to make sure people's concerns are addressed and that
we have good partner in victory programs. But I you know I support the uh for Thank you, chair. All right, we'll go to the testimony. Mr. Shadri, do you want to go ahead? Yes. Thank you. Good morning, uh Madam
Chairman and members of the board. I'm here representing uh the owner of the property across the street uh from the proposed project. Um the um state address for the record um sorry the name of the what what is
the address that you're speaking on behalf of? So, my my client owns uh the property at um 80 to South Huntington. It's 46 to 80 uh South Huntington Avenue, which is
directly across the street. It it contains 107 rental units. Um so, there are approximately over 200 people living there. My client purchased the property in 1968 and has rehabbed it and maintains
the property. Um, and we have noticed uh there there is now a history uh that we can work from in that this use was uh actually an existing use from a hotel use. So
that there is now a history. This isn't something we're looking to do. This is something that already exists. My client um has um provided um uh through email uh some testimony from
the um unit owners. There is uh pictures of people loitering in our lobbies. There are needles in our lobbies. Um and um this is a commendable use and my client is
very interested in um working with the city. Come on. Pardon me. Please do not speak if you are not called upon and please mute them. Fabio,
thank you. Thank you. So my my my client uh is uh not interested in um stopping the project per se, but they do have to protect their interests and would ask the city
to conform to the law currently under section 6.3 which is the conditional use uh provision of the statute. Uh, and I'll quote, "In the case of a substitute non-conforming use under section
9.2, such substitute non-conforming use will not be more objectionable, nor more detrimental to the neighborhood than the non-conforming use for which it is substituted. As was testified, the current use is under a conditional use
permit for a hotel. that use was entered had an agreement by the way uh with the neighborhood uh that was entered into the record as part of the conditional use. Um, and so this seems very clearly
to me to violate the very provision of 6.3A, which says you cannot substitute a use of a non-conforming use from a nonconforming use, which is more detrimental or more objectionable uh
than the conforming non already existing non-conforming use. My client has proposed to uh the uh applicant a list of conditions that they would like to see made as part of this
decision if it were granted by this board. Please speed up. We have other other speakers. Okay. And in section 6.4 before it allows for conditions to be applied to a conditional use permit. Um,
and for that reason, we ask that it be denied. Uh, and if granted, that the conditions my client has proposed be attached. Thank you. Can you Next, we'll hear from Julie
Crawford. Uh hello, my name is Julie Crockford. Uh thank you, Madame Chair, uh woman, and members of the zoning board. This is my first time testifying, so thank you for this. Okay, but just
uh residents, are you for or against and why? Briefly, I am for the project. Um I live in Jamaica Plane over on Union Avenue, which is not butter exactly. Um, but my son and his wife, both doctors
who could not be here today, uh, live very near and they have two boys that I frequently walk and bike um, with in the neighborhood and we go by that property frequently with my seven-year-old and
10-year-old grandsons and it has not been disruptive. No one has ever bothered us. Um, I don't see people loitering in the times that I happen to be going by. Um the need for this type of housing is so critical. Um I have had
the opportunity to help someone who lives in our neighborhood but is unhoused. Uh he's been unhoused for as long as I've known him four or five years and we've helped him in a variety of ways and victory programs did come to his aid and provide um this type of
housing for him and it makes all the difference in the world. um these there are people in our communities that we need to look out for our neighbors who have not had the good fortune that the rest of us have had. So, thank you. I urge you to support this project. Thank
you. Thank you. Next, we'll hear from Sam Rogers. Yes, Sam Rogers. Uh I own a unit over at 30 Jamaica Way. Uh I actually recently moved out of the property. A couple of things that I want to sure be sure to call out. We received a letter from
Sarah Porter on May 1st directly conflicting with her testimony expressed here today uh to read a quote from that letter. Zero tolerance policies and curfews are not consistent with the work done every day in victory programs. I'll also add 311 reports have shown a
drastic uptick in needles found within a/4 mile of the property. 2019 there were four 311 reports for found needles. In 2024 there were 44. Uh, we are not against helping the homeless, but Victory Programs has essentially chosen
to operate this as a free-for-all. We've experienced litter, loitering, stolen packages, car break-ins. I think it's important to note that the state police covers Jamaica Way, which obviously this property immediately abuts. So, all the claims that the city police have not
encountered an uptick in crime doesn't account for state police reports. Uh, we've tried very hard to work with victory programs. We gave them a list of of many many points to try to go for a a a better managed operation and virtually all of them were declined. Uh I urge the
board to reject this proposal until we can work with Victory to establish parameters that everyone's comfortable with. This is obviously something that we need in our community, but we need to have parameters under which this is operated and the way in which it's been done for the past four years is is
simply irresponsible. Thank you guys. Thank you. Next, we'll hear from Jim Katigan. Jim, are you there? Yeah. Hi. Can you hear me? Sure. Yes. Okay. I I just want to point out that uh over the last three and a half years. Uh things have never
happened prior to that. I've been a known there since 1980. All right. When I was a kid. All right. Since 1980, we've never had the problems that we have been having in the last three and a half years. There are plenty of needles everywhere. Just last week, for example,
I went up and down the the Jamaica way, that entire block, the Jamaica way, and then back up on South Huntington trying to get petition signed. Every single unit I touched said that they had either
needles on their stoops or and in their hallways. All right. These are needles and syringes and stuff like that. So, this is not just something that's happened in the past, but continues going. In the three or four times that I've walked from the Veterans
Administration hospital uh to Muer in my place, uh I've gone by and there's been the sidewalk right in front of 81 South Huntington. There have been groups of people in drug dealing. Okay. actual drug dealing on the sidewalk right
outside of South Huntington. Also, uh there is we've got people that have actually filmed drug deals going down in Crafts and Way, which is right next to 70 Jamaica Way and uh 81 South
Huntington. All right. There's so many things that have been going on and it's just like we're waiting for the actual fall. Some of those things are breakins both in the house, the porch pirating, the breaking in and breaking of windows and cars, etc., etc. Now, in culminating
in October with the shooting where a person got killed, eight shots were fired and uh we're just sitting around waiting for the axe to fall. It seems like there are other locations. There are other locations like in Long Island
which is just off of Quinsey where they had this these facilities for the homeless bond brothers etc. and they are in the prospises of rebuilding that and I'm sure there are other locations. The main thing is when you started this,
okay, when you started this wrap up, okay, when you started this, this was supposed to be temporary. We promised it was a temporary housing and now you're trying to make it permanent. This is not fair to all the people who invested in that area. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Next, we'll
hear from Christian Brunell. Mr. Brunelli, keep going in circle back. Okay, next we'll hear from Michael [Music] Rkine. Michael. Okay, let's move on to Nora.
Good morning everyone. My name is Nora Latz. I'm with the mayor's office of housing neighborhood housing division. Mo is supportive of this project and the peel in front of you today which is a step towards the project end use as permanent housing. Our office is working closely with the proponent and our colleagues at the city and the state to
move this project towards its final use as permanent housing. Thank you. Okay, Joan White. Hi. Yes, my name is Joan White. I live at 40 Jamaica Way. Um, I actually want to say that I oppose the use of
occupancy uh the continued use as a homeless shelter. Um, this is not the this I I've lived here for 20 years and just in these conversations, the impression is that the community does not support the initiatives of supportive housing. I do, but Victory
Programs has been disingenuous at best from the get-go. When they say they talk about community outreach, I had no idea. I've lived here for 20 years. I had no idea that this was being converted from a hotel. And as the previous commenter had said, it was temporary and it was at
the middle of we was just starting COVID. There was going to be no restrictions. They didn't have to have any curfew. The people that were going to be living there, they didn't have to have any vaccines, nothing like that. there was nothing to the community to say, "Hey, here's how you can keep yourself safe. Here's how we can deal
with this." There was no outreach to the community that I was aware of. So, that being said, the other thing I just want to say is that during this time, um, they are purporting that there have been no in that they are looking at the data and I find to be really rich that people
that do not live in the community or people that live in Jamaica Plane that run by here, that happen to walk their dogs, whatever, they haven't seen anything. They're not here at night when you have to park your car on the street and walk to your place of uh where you live. So it creates a dangerous
situation. There are absolutely been um instances of loitering of theft of people defecating in vestibules um and personal feeling fear fearing for my life as I am living in this community.
So that being said, that has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. I don't believe it was originally said it was going to be converted back to the envisioned hotel after 2 years. We all wanted to support it, but now we do not support the impact that it has on the community. I feel again that victory
gardens, victory programs has put a bow on this situation and that is not in fact the facts. We are actually living here going uh dealing with this on a day-to-day basis. So the fact of the matter is we have not called the cops. Who wants to call the cops? These people are already in a desperate situation. We
don't want to call the cops. So that's why the data doesn't support it. But I'm telling you the anecdotal data does. So you have several members of the community that are saying all these things are going on and the fact that people are circulating the building during daylight hours and they
don't see anything should not uh erode the actual impact of what the residents are feeling on a 24/7 basis. There are no torpedoes. People can come and go as they please and it needs to be redirected as a different type of supportive housing. Whether it's domestic violence survivors, whether
it's people that have lost their housing, but not as a homeless shelter. Thank you. We have a lot of raised hands, so I'm going to ask folks to please be brief so we can get to as many as we can. Okay, we'll next hear from Cynthia Lewis.
Hi, good morning members of the board. My name is Cynthia Lewis and I've lived at 50 Jamaica Way since 2014. Um, and that's located two buildings down from the Envision Hotel. Uh, when I moved to the Jamaica Way, the area was safe and welcoming. Um, it was a pretty vibrant community, but that changed when the
city made the decision without any public notification to convert the Envision Hotel into a temporary homeless shelter. It felt like the city used a lingering pandemic as cover to quietly bypass any community input, engagement, and accountability. And to date, the city has shown utter disregard towards
the very residents who would be most directly impacted by the proposal uh on Jamaica Way in South Huntington. Um, upon the conversion as uh an official shelter, a police detail was assigned to the envisioned property. That detailed presence made a difference and it curbed many of the most dangerous behaviors of
what has now been attributed to this particular shelter. Drug dealing, use needles, public harassment, and trash accumulation. Um, but once that police detail was removed, everything began to immediately deteriorate. Um, since then, I personally have been verbally and sexually harassed multiple times over
the years by shelter residents. I've been followed while while walking my dog uh by shelter residents. Um one shelter resident even threatened to eat my dog while I was out for an evening walk on South Huntington. I've been threatened walking down Crafts Way and have had threat trash thrown at me from a window
by someone from inside the building. Um because of these experiences, I no longer feel safe walking alone on South Huntington Avenue or Craftsman Way. Something that no resident should have to say about their own neighborhood. Um when I tried to bring these concerns to shelter staff, I did so calmly and respectfully, but I was not met with concern. actually with open hostility by
the shelter staff. Um I was yelled at and told to go home little girl. That is a direct quote. Um it's important to note that Victory has had since 2021 to address the multitude of concerns that have been raised by to make way and South Huntington residents and have
chosen to remain silent. Their efforts now seem purely performative. Um as someone has mentioned earlier in October there was a shooting near the shelter. While it may or may not have been directly connected, it reflects a larger pattern. Since the shelter opened, we've seen a surge in drug paraphernalia, open air drug dealing, trash, and rotting
food on sidewalks and stoops, and a disturbing rise in aggressive belligerent behavior by both shelter residents and staff. What has happened is the rapid degradation and destabilization of our neighborhood. Every time I personally have voiced concerns to Victory Program, or more recently, the Jamaica Plane Neighborhood
Council, I have met with platitudes, gaslighting, and finally victim condescension. I and other women in our neighborhood have been dismissed as emotional, judgmental or exaggerating our fears. And let me be clear, our fears are not imagined. They are based on lived experience and they are grounded in reality and it's
unacceptable to treat anybody, especially women, in that manner. I'm furious about how this process has unfolded. The blatant disregard for residents of Jamaica Way and South Huntington is revoling. Shame on the mayor's office. Shame on victory programs. Shame on everyone who has forced this shelter into our
neighborhood without transparency, without community engagement, and without the due process that's required by law. This is not how a city should treat its residents. This is not how public policy should be made. And I urge this board to do what no one else has done thus far, listen to the people who
live in this neighborhood who take our safety and our voices seriously, and vote against this proposal. Thank Thank you. I'm going to ask the remaining speakers to limit their their comments to one minute. Otherwise, I'm going to have to limit the number of comments remaining. So, please be brief.
Thank you, Madam Chairman. We'll go to Jerome Parker. All right. Uh, good morning, Madam Chair and members of the board. My name is Jerome Parker O'Grady. I live at 50 Jamaica Way, a couple doors down from the shelter. I've been here since 2009. Uh, I was going to talk about the same
things I talked about at the community process meeting and the JPNC hearing, uh, like the shelter's adverse effects, but, um, frankly, I'm exhausted. I'm just exhausted with this need to continually fight to protect my neighborhood from being treated as expendable, exhausted by the pretense of
engagement uh when these decisions are already predetermined and just exhausted by a process that consistently dismisses our genuine concerns. Uh labeling us as nimies simply for caring about our community safety and quality of life. Uh so just this morning uh I I had to do
a needle report and I separately had to call 911 because shelter residents were yelling and tearing through the trash out in front of my building and just generally creating a nuisance. Uh, as far as the needle report, Sam and Jim both spoke about this extensively, but uh, in the three years before the
shelter opened to the three years after the shelter opened, within a/4 mile, it's a 209% increase in needle reports and an astonishing 573% increase. If you narrow that down to 250 yards around the shelter, u, this
data isn't anecdotal. You can look at the evidence yourself at the website ma needles 311.surgge.sh. and victory programs has claimed community engagement, but their actions have shown otherwise. Decisions have been made behind closed doors, communicated to us only afterwards, and
proposals like hiring a security consultant feel like a public relations gesture rather than a sincere attempt at collaboration. We've been offered placation rather than partnership. And adding insult to injury, the city itself enabled this by funding it with a loan that purchased at double the assessed
property value, 15.75 million against an assessed 7.68 million. a process that was completed with no public input input raising troubling questions about fiscal responsibility and transparency. Now, as residents were left to ask whose interests are being served here when citywide crime reports trend downward,
but our neighborhood seems flat or even a slight increase in crime reports over the same period coinciding with the shelter operation. We're not reassured by general statistics and dismissals of our experiences here. And whether these outcomes reflect under policing or genuine disparities in safety, they
point to a neighborhood being left behind and not one being served. Uh I'll try to I'll wrap it up here. So uh thank you. Thank you. Okay. Um so again, please be brief or put your your comments in the chat. I
for one have read people's comments uh by email. So new information or just state whether you're for or against. Okay, we'll go to Najim. Okay. Yes. Good morning. My name is Najim Kabir Jamaica Way. That's the building right next to
81 South Huntington. I've owned there for almost 30 years now. I'd like to oppose the conversion because uh as the building directly impacted by this proposed change, we've really noticed a huge decline in our quality of life
during the time it's been a temporary shelter. rising violence, rising thefts of packages, open drug use, used needles everywhere, trash everywhere around the neighborhood. And all these issues we've never seen before in this neighborhood. And clearly, uh they're directly the
result of this temporary change uh from a hotel to a homeless shelter. Um and this is undeniable. I mean, it's declined. And while victory programs qualifies it as a success, if you live in the neighborhood and the buildings
next to uh the shelter, it's been disastrous. And you heard it from other members of the community. The important thing to remember is that in reality, the the owners of the management of the facility, while they may have the best intentions, have no control over what
their residents do once they step out outside the building. And that's where the real problem is. uh it's us the residents of the neighboring buildings that are left to deal with these consequences and the decline in safety. Uh there's been a petition that's been
signed uh by many residents over 150 signatures and rising to voice uh concern and the so I'm going to ask other folks who have a lot more they want to say to put it in the chat because we do have 20
more cases beyond this. Uh, and you know, I think we have a good sense of the concerns that are being raised by residents. Uh, and I will give the applicant a brief opportunity to respond
and open it back up to the board. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um I just want to focus very briefly on uh some of the uh statements about the neighborhood engagement process as well as uh Mr.
Shadre's comments on article article 6 compliance. So um throughout this process there has been extensive outreach. Um we had a uh when this shel when the shelter first went in uh under
the hotel there was organized meetings uh we had advertised meetings with Jamaica plane neighborhood council which we flyd the entirety of the neighborhood as required. We had an abutters meeting hosted by the mayor's office of
neighborhood services also uh flyerd and most recently uh Mr. Chadre representing uh the Moscow family that has the apartments across the street. Uh Sarah Parker met with them last week in person
along with other neighbors. We did receive a list of uh requests or demands if you will from them and uh and some of them do not u pertain or are not applicable or would not work with
respect to how to properly operate this type of facility. And that's why we brought in Mr. Linsky to help us uh continue that dialogue that has been pretty robust to date, but in a more meaningful way rather than uh as Miss
White indicated, anecdotal. Um with respect to uh the police calls in Boston, uh we are not on the Jayway. We are in the Jamaica plane neighborhood. If you call 911, BPD is the uh call center that answers. uh the state police
or highway police on the Jamaica way. Uh having said that um as I think we heard there are not uh the neighbors aren't using that venue. So we have set up a hotline which we'll be working with through Mr. Linsk's guidance and we have
committed to continue to work with the neighbors much uh in the same way that we already have. Finally, for article six, I just just want to say if you take a look at the BPD recommendation of support, it does a really good job going through the
factors for the conditional use permit. Article 6 doesn't say uh well, the type of use, if it's detrimental, it can't be approved. If that was the case, nothing would be approved. It's the operation of the replacement use. And that is something that is um compliant in a way
that is managed properly by an experienced operator with continued dialogue uh with all factors involved. So thank you. Can so can you uh respond to the feedback about the Jamaica way? So if a call is coming from the Jamaica way address does
BPD respond to that or is that state police? Yeah, I think Mr. Linsky can probably provide more detail that that's what that yeah if the calls are coming from there. If the call is to the residents then Boston police would handle it. If it's the area behind it then state police would handle obviously
the Jamaica way. In any event um we can make sure we're cooperating and getting information from both the state police and Boston police and make sure that they're talking to each other that if there are concerns and issues they're jointly trying to address it. uh I have relationships with both uh organizations
that uh are in that area. And can you just provide some feedback around the concerns you you know a lot of the concerns sound like early morning uh in the evening you know when other people who are passing by are not you know around right it's who lives there so I
guess maybe hearing a little bit about thoughts on how to uh work work on those you know hours that's what we have to look at what where are the challenges and problems coming from are there something uh we can do with technology are there cameras and lighting that can
assist and make people feel safer and secure. Do we need to have personnel outside doing uh perimeter checks or, you know, doing uh neighborhood walk and talks to to see what's going on? Do we need to coordinate with Boston police to see if they are able to swing some resources by, maybe have somebody get
out of the vehicle and do a code 19 during hours when people are going back and forth? And and it's important uh if people feel that they haven't made these calls because they, you know, they don't think anything's going to be done, it's important to really call 911 uh so we can see what the data is so we can
respond to it. I I used to go to community meetings and give my cell phone out and Mayor Manito would think I was crazy. And essentially, I said, "Mor, well, people who have problems will call. I'll I will work hard to fix their problem and then we don't have a problem anymore." So, we want to have that general information. Can I hear
from other board members? Any questions from the board? Um the concern being pointed pointed to that um the project um actually I'm trying to say spans two
streets uh to in terms of the Jamaica way and the uh and Huntington Avenue probably means that the reactions need to be raised to a higher level in terms of what Mr.
Linsky referred to um this the state specifically the state police and the Boston public and the Boston uh police department need to be more involved um have a better plan of working with and
listening to the residents so that these things don't keep occurring. Um, we've had the state rep and the district city councelor on this uh call and I would think that the um if if not victory
programs itself or the residents would take it right to those people and demand that they work on this issue. Yes, this is an important issue in terms of trying to relate to um helping people
but that it needs to be in um reinforced that it just can't um go on if in fact what we're hearing um is the case. Sure. Thank you. Any other comments or
questions from the board? If I don't know if Mr. Aken you're trying to speak or Sorry. Okay. Thank you. Uh, is there a motion? Yes, ma. I I read the comments on via
email. I heard what the residents have to say on supportive opposition. I truly believe that this program really supports the people who needs the most from our community. And I would like to ask the victory
program to increase their outreach to the neighbors to ensure that the elected officials who are also attended this hearing today are part of those conversations to know that there are avenues to share concerns or complaints
or or ideas. I think that more outreach from the uh victory program to the resident will help in solve some of those issues or the stress from the local residents. But I think this program provides very important services to res in Boston. And with that, I make
a motion of approval. Thank you. Is there a second? Second, Mr. Stebridge. Uh uh first I agree with everything uh Giovani said. Um yes,
Mr. Vonsio. Yes, Miss We. Uh yes, I'd just like to expand upon that just for transparency. Um I think the request for the conditional use meets the criteria set forth. Um I think it's consistent and compatible
with the nearby uses, residential and healthcare. It's going to operate in an existing building with no significant changes in the exterior of the building. Uh due to the nature of the use, it's unlikely to generate a significant number of vehicular trips. Um and it's
been operating since 2021. And based on the testimony today that we've heard, they have a procedure and protocol for responding to community concerns. And I'll just echo everything Mr. Valencia said. So yes, Mr. Langum.
I'm going to vote no. Mr. Aken, uh yeah, in similar fashion to to board member we will I mean I think that the uh everyone has laid out the items related to the several you know conditional use pieces here and and
obviously I think that the the project meets uh meets many of them. I think that the challenges are around you know nuisances and adverse impacts. um a little you know uh distraught to hear you know it took so long to get uh someone like Mr. Linsky on board. I've been a part of projects that have
permanent supportive housing in the city that appear to have built up better uh community support along the way. Um but also since this program opened, you know, we we know that uh there's a lot of information around the homelessness, opioid and other uh you know, housing stability problems in Boston. Uh
especially as housing has become uh more scarce and more expensive. Uh, so I think that the proponent sounds like there there is a plan to uh continue to do work with the neighbors uh to engage the the police. Uh, and so I think that you know they've helped satisfy the items needed for conditional use uh
permit. So I'll I'll vote yes. Thank you, Miss Bonado. Yes. So, I think the the residents raised a lot of important concerns and I hope that the applicant moving forward uh you
know will work more in partnership with them and I hope that the residents will call 911 and 311 uh as they need to uh so that there is the data that the applicants have talked about. Um, again echoing what others have said, you know,
meeting the commission. Uh, I will vote. Yes. With that, the motion carries madam chair. I did put my phone number in the chat, my cell phone for anyone who wants to meet and uh reach out and uh I can assist them in making
sure we understand the problems. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. Before we continue with the 9:30 hearings, um, since we passed the 11
a.m. uh, hour, we'll ask if there are any, excuse me, uh, request for withdrawals or deferrals from the 11 a.m. time frame. with one uh two hands up here. Three hands. One
second. Mr. Burke, Mr. Tim Burke. Okay. All right. Are there any other raised hands? Mr. McCoy. Mr. McCoy. Um, yeah, I'm here for one Waverly uh for the cruise companies. Uh, we are
requesting a deferral. How much time do you need? Um, um, uh, bottom bear bear with me, please. Um, so that would be for it's the last one of the uh
of course. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, so that would be that this will be a request for case B8 169 8184 with the address of one Wy Street.
Uh, would you go ahead and explain, B? Uh yes, there [Music] um there uh was a bit of a uh snafu. Um uh and the incorrect plans were
initially reviewed, but the correct plans have been reviewed. Okay. As of this date. Thank you, Caroline. We could do June 24th. Okay. With that, may I have a motion?
Motion to defer to June 24th. Second. Okay. Mr. Ste, yeah. Mr. Valencio, yes. Miss Wo, yes. Mr. Langum, yes. Mr. Aken, yes. Miss Ponado, yes.
Chair votes, yes. The motion carries. See you then. Thank you. Mr. Burke, would you like to ask for deferral? Uh I'm I'm not certain of your procedure here. Uh I heard you ask whether we want a deferral. Um I am not the applicant. I
am opposing. Okay. So then this is not the time. Okay. Well, let's let's move forward. So with that, so if there no more requests or withdrawals or deferrals, we'll return to the 9:30 hearings,
specifically case VA701377 with the address of 34 Whale Street. If the This is a mayor of housing um project. If the applicant andor the representative are present, would they
please explain to the board? Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Joseph Faster. I always say I always love to follow Joe Hanley in any uh in any proceeding. I'm here as the attorney for this applicant and as Mr. Spe has
mentioned, Madame Chair and members of the board, this is a welcome home Boston project. It is a project which is going to provide 12 home ownership residential uh units um uh six three family and six
excuse me six threebedrooms and six two-bedroom units. I will have two individuals speak on this project. One is the pastor uh Willie Brick uh who brick who will speak
to tell you about the project and his vision with regards working with the city of Austin and then the architect Kllin Moi from Social Impact Collective will do the walk you through the plans.
So Reverend Bodrick. Thank you Attorney Feester. Good morning madam chair and members of the board. My name is Reverend Willie Bodrick II and I am a principal and co-founder of Amberry Development Group together with my brother Winston Bodrick who is also here on the line. Uh we launched Ambry with a
clear mission to build housing that creates opportunity, fosters equity and helps families to build generational wealth especially in communities that have often been left behind. uh as a pastor, as a husband, as a father, uh and as a resident of this neighborhood, I'm here today not only as a neighbor,
but also as a developer, a builder with a deep commitment to this community. Um I live just a few blocks away from 34 Well Street, the site in which we are the tenative designated uh to develop this site and I see firsthand the urgent need within our neighborhood for affordable home ownership opportunities
in our community. Uh the welcome home Boston phase 2 project will bring 12 home ownership units as has been uh explained by attorney Feaster. Uh we have six uh reserved at 80 80% AMI with the other six reserved at 100% AMI. Uh
and these uh units are a mix of two and three-bedroom homes which are designed for families uh who deserve an opportunity to stay and thrive here in our great city. Uh we've uh designed the project with care and intention and uh you'll hear more from uh Killian about this uh both the undercraftoft parking
the preserv trees and green space and passive house. Uh and this is really more about uh building homes for our community. Uh it's about building a community that families can truly grow and pro feel proud of. Uh as has been stated and understood by everyone who is here. We're in the middle of a housing
crisis. Uh and this project is a direct response to that. Uh these are ownership opportunities for people who will make our city uh even even greater and for the folks who make our city work. Uh teachers and nurses, public servants and families who are trying to build a future right here in our community. And
so we do ask for your support and approval of these variances that we will need to move forward this vision. Uh and we thank you for your support and the opportunity to come here to uh create new pathways for affordable home ownership, community stability, and generational wealth in our community. Thank you for your time and we look
forward to hearing uh from each and every one of you and working with the community even further. Thank you sir. Madame chair and members of the board. Uh as you can see that's the reason why I wanted the the the reverend project to give the presentation at the outset. I I
am going to ask that the ambassador take us back to the beginning of the slides because the actual person who will walk the board through what the project is will be the architect. So, if we can go back to to the beginning of the slides, that would be great. And then um if um
if Killian, if you would take them through the slides, please. And as you walk through them, can you can you please tell us what the violations are and how you know how is it differentiated from what's allowed? Thank you. If you would like uh would you like me to do that Miss Dong or
would you want the architect to I mean you could do it as you proceed but it would just be helpful to hear that as you're talking not just what all right well let me just state for the the outset what the violations are according to the notice article 60 section 3 uh2
which is fee parking and loading requirement article 60 section three uh multifamily use forbidden um article 60 section 60 uh-4 which is the regulations D the additional lot
area article 60 Mr. F I don't need you to reread what's there I can walk through how to all yes so like you have you know X feet away and the speed that would be helpful thank you fine why don't I let uh and
then why don't I let Mr. Killian walk you through. I thought you wanted to have that since it was No, we we can read that. Thank you. Okay, no problem. Always want to satisfy the board. Mr. Killian, thank you. Um so I I think I'm going to maybe start by just highlighting that
the uh the project was designed uh to kind of fit within the guideline of what the RFP for the MO housing had stated regarding the building massing which is we stayed within the the kind of consistent heights of our neighboring buildings from across the street and uh
next to us as well. So we're we're within three stories. Um however because of the you know change in in the the grading the height of the building is beyond 35 foot that that we we we need to stay within. So we're 38 uh foot and
and therefore that's one of the violations that we've got. One of the things that the design addresses as well that the committee had raised in the RFP was to stay consistent with the neighborhood materials. Um so as you can see we kind of try to keep uh to keep the the material character of the of the
the neighborhood by using terra cotta which matches uh the majority of the the buildings across across from us as well. Um the other thing that I want to highlight is the entry uh into the plot as well as we located it where the recommendations were from the RFP which
is come off the street to the to the right of the the the lot. um and also the the fact that we need to provide uh some some parking on the lot. So, one of the challenges that we've got with the site because of a steep grade um digging the the entire building of the basement
um would would make the the project you know un unfeasible. So, we've provided nine parking space which are on a on a on a on a basement um parking which is again it's accessed by a stair directly from the the parking into the
buildings. Um if you can I think one of the things that I highlight regarding the violations too is that we are violating the rear um rear setback uh move from 30 that's required to 16 uh that enables us to be able to actually get the 12 units that that we are
proposing today. um and the F because the Lord again the Lord is uh smaller than what is required um and and by providing the 12 units which were also recommended uh in the RFP we we um FBI
were validating that from 0.8 8 to 1.5 1.5 um I think if we can go to the uh if you scroll down I will let you know where to stop just keep scrolling to the actual plans uh just keep scrolling
uh so yeah here so this is the basement parking that we're providing um with the ADA we have two ADA uh spaces right now uh this is a little bit of an older plan but in our vice plan we have two ADA spaces that we're providing um Can you go to the next space? Next area. So the
first ground floor and I won't go through all the floor plans because they're they're typically after this one. But what we want to highlight is that the the two units on the ground floor plan uh to the top there, unit one and unit 4. Those are ad proposed to be
ad unit uh ADA accessible units. One of them being three bed and the other one being two bed. Um and then uh if we go to the next floor which then shows that our three bed units are two units in the front, the two bed two bed units are the ones in the back. Um and then after that
the next floor plate is the same um as this one. Uh and we are proposing to have all our service services in the roof plan. Um and they're all going to be covered with a parapit so that we're not exposing those from from the street. uh if you scroll to the elevations and
then I'll conclude my presentation uh the elevations is next uh after the sections there. So, so I think as you can see, I mean this is not color but as you can see the building height matches the ones across the street which is 31
and 35 Well Street. Um and and also the one to to our right we are not far off in terms of height on that. Uh but because we are on the elevated site uh we we we therefore end up violating the 35 ft that that is required for um this
area. I'll conclude my presentation. Thank you. Thank you. Are there questions from the board? Hearing none, may I have public testimony? Yes, madame chair, members of the board, Connor Newman with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This time, the mayor's office like to take the stance
of support for this particular proposal. Uh some background information, the community process. Uh it was an MO community process that involved the applicant uh working directly with uh neighbors um several times. uh March 27th, 2025, April 4th of 2025, and May
5th of 2025. Uh there's no active civic association in this area. Uh that being said, the applicant did reach out to a couple couple of neighboring civics uh who were uh did not weigh in on the project. Uh the applicant secured a letter of support from state rep uh
Russell Holmes. Um and after that extensive uh feedback from from residents, they continue to work with them uh just on very various little concerns. Uh with that, we'll defer to the board. Thank you. Thank
you. Any other race? Go to Coin Harris. Hello. Hello. Hello. Um, I seen that I'm trying to get this camera down so you can see my face, but it's it's okay, I guess. I don't know if you can. My name
is Conan Harris. Um, I am in full support of this project. Um, I arrived at this decision as former head of public safety and and and head of my brother's keeper for the Walsh administration. Um, the number one reason why I'm in support of this
program is the home ownership. Um, anytime there's a creation of opportunity to build wealth uh, for families and residents in the city of Boston, it is super crucial and important. Um, and I also love that the team is a majority
MWBE where it gives developers of color an opportunity to build capacity while helping to build out the beautifification and the sustainability of a thriving neighborhood. Um, last but not least, um, which is most important in my book with unpredictable times that
we find ourselves in as a nation is the job creation. Um, where developers, um, commitment to make sure that the workforce is a reflection of the neighborhood. Um, predictable work now for families are more now than ever. Of course, it will
support the economy, but what I'm really looking for is the opportunity to help families and um with that predictable work that is so crucial and important at these particular times. Um thank you for having me at this time now for this opportunity. Thank you, Council Warl.
Hi, thank you uh Timothy Geon here uh uh representing councelor Burrell. Uh just wanted to quickly share our support for this project. Um I want to thank uh Conan for reiterating um in particular the home ownership aspect is something the counselor is really really happy to
see. Um also that it's a two to threebedroom family style um is also really important. Um so with that as well as uh no uh no lack of community uh engagement multiple community engagement
meetings uh with that we like to offer our full support. Thank you very much. Thank you. Fatima. Hi. Uh, good morning. My name is Fat Salam, chair for Greater American Neighborhood Council. Uh, we are the
civic that falls on that Whale Street that this address falls under. Um, we were not contacted, but we do um support this project as it is in congruence with our um the same statements that have been made by others. Thank you,
Stephen Donovan. Good morning. My name is Steven Dunovan and I'm a housing development officer with the mayor's office of housing. Uh this project involves the disposition of city-owned land that's associated with phase two of the welcome home Boston program uh which is an initiative to
help low and moderate income Bostononians become homeowners. This project has the full support of the mayor's office of housing. Thank you. Thank you. And last, Jerome Frasier. Yeah, I'm really excited about this
project with the idea of residents and minorities participating. You know that labor has been a very important part of the city with modified minority contractors and residents getting jobs.
And it makes me excited to know that we're constantly, you know, focusing in and driving home that labor is really a part of what drives this country and that has made this city who we are today
with the programs that identify with minority business residents and females on jobs and makes me excited in that respect. Thank you. That could any other questions from the board?
May. Oh, sorry. Can I just point out quickly? I just want uh I don't know if the applicants aware of the disabilities commission had a couple of questions. I don't think we need to run through them, but those were submitted. So, uh maybe they should just contact Sierra Tilg uh
cuz there were three items there about root, you know, accessible routes, etc. And then also that Boston Transportation Department submitted a comment saying that the, you know, parking arrangement was okay. So, just want to make sure everyone saw that. Thank you. With that, I'm also happy to make a motion. Uh, motion.
There a second. Second. Mr. Stebridge. Yes. Mr. Valencia? Yes. Miss Ruo? Yes. Mr. Langum? Yes. Mr. Aken? Yes. Miss Bonado? Yes. Chair will yes
the motion carries the Thank you very much madam chair member of the board. Thank you. Next we have case VA1684453 [Music] with the address of 77 Bushnell Street.
If the applicant andor their representative present would they please explain to the board? Good morning madame chair and the board. Um, my name is Michelle Gordon. I live at uh 77 Bushnell Street.
I am uh looking for relief uh for rare um rare yard insufficient. Um I'm attempting to uh extend my home by addition
um to accommodate my mother and my aunt living with me. the uh after the addition is added as you can see in this image there would be 25 ft to the property line. Um the addition is 15 ft
uh by 27 ft which is which is the exact width of the current structure. Um I don't know if the ambassador could scroll down if you also have the yes the image. Um, so this is an image of the uh
completed home. It would allow us to have uh um bathroom on the first floor. Um as my um aging mother and aunt are no longer able to go up the stairs. Um it
the first floor would have a mud room because the plan is to convert the dining room into a bedroom. Um it would have a mud mud room or just a little bit of extra space where we could eat and there would be a um additional bathroom and bedroom on the second floor. Um the
current home only has has one and a half bathroom and the half bathroom is actually in a hallway. So um that's the extent of it is A-frame and ties into the structure of the existing home. Um and um my other
neighbors have also ex uh uh directly on uh both sides have extended their homes as well. Um my contractor is here um uh and we're open to any additional questions.
Thank you. Any questions from the board? Hearing none. May I have public testimony? Uh good afternoon madam chair, members of the board. My name is Jones representing the mayor's office in neighborhood services uh regarding 77 Bushnell Street. Our office will defer to the board's judgement on this matter.
A community was conducting including an abutters meeting held on Monday, March 3rd, 2025 which was which was attended by two constituents. The primary feedback from this meeting was resounding support from one of her neighbors. It was a very sweet show of neighborly support. Um, additionally, the proposal was reviewed with the
Ashmont Adams Neighborhood Association, which convened in early March of this year and has also expressed support regarding the proposal. At this time, American Office of Neighbor Neighborhood Services would like to defer his board's judgment on this matter. Thank you everyone for your time and consideration. Thank you. Hello, Madam
Chair, members of the board. Liam Remis from Council Ferrell's office honestly join record and support this proposal. Thank you. Thank you. There are no other testimony with that. May I have a motion? Motion
to approve. Second. Second. Second. Mr. Sambridge. Yes. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss. We will. Yes. Mr. Langum. Yes. Mr. Aken. Yes. Miss. Panado. Yes. Chair votes yes.
The motion carries. Good luck, ma'am. Madame Chair, as we pass the 11:30 time time frame, um we'll ask if there are any requests for withdrawals or deferrals from the 11:30 hearing. Was that a raised hand by Eric Owens?
No, sir. I'm ready to present our case. Okay. Okay. Then with that, we will return to the 9:30 case for case BOA 167
9758 with the address of 76 Samborn Avenue. If the applicant and or their representative are present, will they please? Uh, good morning, Madam Chair and members of the board. My name is Eric Owens. I'm the homeowner at 76 Sanborn
Avenue and my wife Leslie is here with us. Uh we're longtime homeowners on this uh on this of this home and um we are here to uh get an exception for a side yard insufficient violation. We are seeking to build a small addition on the
side of our house that will not get us any closer to the neighbors than our 120y old home already is. Uh it simply goes up and back toward the rest of our yard. If you move to the um yeah, there's a picture of our home right there uh with a um sun room on the left.
Our proposal uh will build upward uh a floor above that and back uh to the back of our house. Um there are elevations on um slide number five. And um I just simply want to say that uh we have expressly written support from all of
our abuing neighbors on all sides. Um and no uh opposition at all in the two different meetings we've been at, um this is uh um I think hopefully relatively straightforward and given the interest of time, I'm happy to defer to any questions uh that everybody has.
Thank you, sir. With that, any questions from the board? Hearing none, may we have public testimony. Madame chair and board members, city Johnson with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This petitioner completed the ons community process. Our office hosted an abundance
meeting on February 18th at which no concerns were raised. The West Roxbury neighborhood council is in support of this application. With that background, we defer judgment to the board. Thank you. Thank you. There are no other testifiers. Thank you. Approve that. May I have a motion?
Motion. May I have a second? Second. Mr. Sbridge. Yes. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss R. Yes. Mr.
Langum. Yes. Mr. Aken. Yes. Miss Bonado. Yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm just going to say before Mr. Stembbridge proceeds to our next case. We have three article 80 cases ahead of us. So, please
be mindful uh of the time. Thank you, Mr. [Music] Stebridge. Next, we have case BOA 1699534 with the address of 470 Western Avenue. As Madam Chair noted, this is an
article 80 case. So if the applicant and or the representative would let us know about the case uh and we go from there. Yes. Uh good good morning. Briefly, Mr. Hanley. We Yes, ma'am. And
I won't say it's a pleasure to follow Mr. Feaster. Uh but uh but uh for the record again, attorney Joe Hanley, McDermac, Colty Miller and Hanley, 28 State Street, Boston. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, Mr. Secretary. Uh with me is Peter
Ziggorianas who is the owner and proponent. I'm going to take you through the presentation very quickly and ask Peter to quickly show you how this all comes together and uh plans. So next slide please. Uh so uh 470 Western A uh
as you'll see in the next slide is in uh the city's newly adopted Wacker Zy uh study area which is uh known as the Western Avenue corridor study and resoning initiative. Um we are an
article 80 proposal uh that was approved by the uh board of uh the planning board and uh requires relief that is guided through Wackerz for this residential housing development with affordable
on-site IDP component. Um next slide please. So you'll see the site in the red hash. It is uh a little under 11,000 square feet of land. The majority of it is a surface asphalt unimproved parking
lot with a two family structure uh surrounded by asbuilt conditions at the lot line and a deficient uh public realm in this new study area. Next slides just show you quickly and I won't go through all of this uh what I had just mentioned
the asbuilt conditions the impervious surfaces the condition uh of the property and its views around the neighborhood. Next slide please. Um further views will note that we're on the northern side of Western A just down
from the intersection of Leo Birmingham uh across from the health center and uh in an area that is seeing and experiencing uh future growth and development. Next slide please. So just an overview of uh of
what you'll see here. Uh what is being proposed is a six-story building of approximately a little under 35,000 gross square feet with an F of 3.24 and there are 39 residential units which includes two studios, 13 onebedrooms,
third 19 onebedrooms, 13 twobedrooms and five threebedrooms. Uh seven of these units are income are set aside for on-site incomerestricted housing which approx is approximately 18%
uh of the total units. We have 49 bike parking spaces and 14 vehicular parking spaces and a lot coverage of uh only about 60%. It is a six-story building with a building height of about 65 ft. Next slide shows you how this all comes
together in zoning. Madam chair, you'll see two indexes here. The first is the underlying zoning which is community commercial one. And then the second is how we are guided by whacker Z uh which has been adopted again this is an article 80 project that was closely
guided by wacker Z through the BPDA process and also the Austin Brighton mobility plan. Uh just basically uh three areas of relief. One is F again we're approximately 3.2 24. Um, wacker Z
guides to 3.5, so we're a little less than that. And underlying zoning is 1. Uh, the next is the building height. Wacker Z suggest 65, which is what we're at, and the underlying zoning is 35. Um,
and the parking. uh Wackerz and the BTD suggest a maximum of.5 which we're slightly under at.36 but we also have a full uh EV program and ample uh extra bike storage and the like uh consistent
with the Austin Brighton mobility plan. One thing I'll leave you with on this, uh, we're very proud that you'll see what we don't need relief for is the front yard setback, which is 10. We're in excess of, uh, what is required, uh, and that it's also driven by restoring
and investing in the public realm for Wacer and an open space that's almost twice as what as much as uh, what is required. So, next slide. I'm not going to go through all this, but just for your respective requested findings, uh there are unique land conditions for
this zoning relief, including its vast impervious unimproved surfaces at the parking lot. Uh the asbuilt conditions to the lot lines which surrounded the excessive curb cut and deficient public realm and inaccessible sidewalks with no street trees in this transformational
location. We are curing these ills um with a carefully designed development that comports with accuracy and improves sight and environmental conditions, better permeabilities, storm water retention and new street trees and an upgraded public realm uh with vast
accessible sidewalks and uh minimal lot coverage to contribute to the future of this location. You'll see this in the next slide how it all comes together uh with the refusal letter and I'll hand it off to Peter to take you very quickly through how this comes together in plan
view. Peter, next slide please. I am Peter Zagorion. Thank you for hearing and appreciate everybody's time. So, in this development, we've got a 60% lot coverage, lots of landscape area, and we've also set the building back quite a
few feet from the street line to make sure that we can meet the new requirements of Wacker Z so that the sidewalk and the new bike lane and the bus lane will be able to be built along Western A that's planned for the future. Next slide, please. This is a six-story
building, masonary front with with a with a standing seam um mansard on the top of it to give it a kind of a transparent look to the sky. Next slide, please. Um this is a view looking down
um Western A east towards the building. As Joe mentioned, you've got many new projects on the street that are mostly of sixstory origin up and down the street. I'm sure everybody's most people are aware that um that Harvard is proposing a huge biotech mixeduse
development about you know half a mile further down uh western a on the east. Uh next slide please. This is a straighton view of the of the project. Again six stories uh masonary in the front metal on the top to give it a
transparent look. Um next slide please. This is our underground parking. We have a car elevator that accesses the garage, 14 parking spaces, 49 bike spaces, and all our utilities are in the in the garage area subsurface. Next slide,
please. Uh our bike 49 bike room. Next slide, please. Um and then on the first floor, we have five units. We've got four twobedrooms and one threebedroom on the first floor. As Joe mentioned, of the 30
of the 39 unit, 18% are affordable. And we've got a nice mix of affordables that are some twos, some ones, and I believe we even have a three-bedroom that's in the affordable mix. Next slide, please. On the we have decks and balconies off the sides of the buildings, and we have
one, twos, and threes going up from the second, third, fourth, and fifth floor. Next slide, please. Um, next slide. And then on the roof, we have our our HVAC systems and an array of solar panels um to supply
the the the the common area electricity of the building. Thank you everybody. I'll open it up for questions now. Thank you. We do madam chair. Better always. Are there questions from the
board? Hearing none, mayor. Public testimony. Yes, madam chair, members of the board. Conor Newman with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This time the mayor's office deferred to the judge from this board. Uh this went through a
Boston planning le community process involving a public meeting small project review approved by the board July 18th of 2024. Um they received support from the Brighton Alustin improvement association. Uh I know they had also engaged with the Alson Civicus
Association earlier in the process. I I don't believe that civic group took a final vote. With that information, we'll defer to the board. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board, Annabelle Gomes from the Brighton Austin Improvement Association. We'd like to go on record and support. Uh this project
is consistent with the rapid zoning uh recommendations and we think it's much needed housing needed on Western A to offset all the biotech development. Thank you. Thank you madam chair, members of the board. My name is Zoe Shudy. I'm a project
assistant in the development review division of the planning department. Here to just express planning department support of the project. Um it was approved by the board July 18th, 2024. Um the SP was filed March 13th and our planning department sponsored a public
meeting on June 10th and the project did additional independent community outreach as well. Um we're happy to see this project move forward and progress to the design review phase of article 80. Um and we defer to this board for further action. Thank you.
Any other raised hands? There are no raised hands at this time. Okay. With that, is there a motion? Motion to approve. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Fenbridge.
Yes. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss Weo? Yes. Mr. Langum? Yes. Mr. Aken? Yes. Miss Panado? Yes. Chair votes? Yes. The motion carries. Good luck. Thank you. Thank you very much, board. Have a great
day. Thank you. Next, we'll move on to the hearing schedule for 11:00 a.m. The we have two companion cases to begin with. First being case
BOA 170 4651 with the address of 1 to4 pipole place. Along with that we have case BOA1704648 with the address of 108 to
110 Orleans Street. If the applicant andor their representative are present, would they please explain to the board? Yes. Thank you again, Mr. Stebridge and uh Madam Chair, members of the board. I'll be very brief. Uh Richard Linds, 245 Summer Street, East Fox on behalf of
the petitioner. Madam Chair, as Mr. Steward said this is a this involved a companion case uh for two properties uh located uh on Aran Street in personal place. Probably stop at this spot right here. Um there is an existing two existing buildings on one lot. Madam
Chair, this is a condition that's pretty common in the city. Um from a title standpoint, it does create some challenges uh both from financeability and ownership. Uh in this case, we are proposing to subdivide the property, not really changing anything with respect to the existing structures uh and
confirming occupancy of the rear building for six residential dwelling units. Uh these this is a condition that has existed on the site uh for a number of years. Uh and we think it's important to ensure that the records are correct and that the division of the land uh is
appropriate for uh for the records of the registry of deeds. If we could scroll down to slide six just to get uh the board a quick overview of the uh street view. So this is the building that's located on the front portion. This would be the 108 1110 Orleans
Street. This is a 3 unit building uh with the garage we see off to the right. Nothing is changing with respect to this building. No height, no uh modifications to the exterior. If we could scroll down to slide I believe it's slide seven or eight. Um should have the Yeah, this is
a good one to stop at as well. You can see the building at Perl which is to the rear. Uh it's that yellow building off to the screen right uh and that is the existing building once again not changing anything with respect to the structure itself increasing the height of the footprint. All work will be
interior for this building which uh generally involves um upgrading to life safety as well as um modification of the egress to ensure compliance with the state building code. Next slide please. Uh another view and we can scroll to the
next one. Uh this is the existing building at personal place. We can see if we uh zoom out a little bit just to see where the doors are. Uh there are two separate entranceways. Uh but again this uh is currently organized as six residential units, six kitchens, all facilities, uh
heating systems, etc. are all in place. Uh again in long-standing condition that uh um is uh needs to be confirmed within the records of ISD. I would point out this is the EDR4 district. It's a new zoning district that will actually allow for multif family use. Uh so this is uh
proposing a use that is consistent with current zoning. Next slide please. Just a different view. Next slide. Uh and if we go down to slide 16, that's the subdivision plan. I'll talk briefly about the zoning relief uh that's been triggered.
Um so as you can see the existing structures um for what we're proposing do not change from the um condition that has existed. Uh we do not increase any of the existing nonconformities that exist in the site. All of the violations that are cited, uh, madam chair, members
of the board, are due to the subdivision line being proposed, uh, which certainly creates setback issues, uh, for both the rear and the sideyard for the front building, as well as, uh, some lot coverage issues, which a new feature under amended zoning for East Boston. Um, once again, these are all
pre-existing conditions. Nothing is changing other than the drawing of a lot line uh that separates uh these buildings into their own uh, respective lots. If we can go to the next slide please. Uh one more slide further down.
Uh so you can see here we do have the existing conditions of the building. Um as uh as shown we have the uh layouts starting from basement all the way up to the upper level. Um there three levels of living. Uh each level has two units uh sort of mirror style. If we jump to
the next slide and this just shows the modifications are being made. Uh as I said, we are uh really just improving the egress in the building. Uh adding in life safety. So this building will be brought up to the current requirements of the fire code. Uh certainly something
that would be um a plus for the location of this building. Um other than that the relief uh that we are asking for with respect to the uh existing building because the records uh contain no uh positive record of
occasions of parking um because that is triggered based upon the um proposed number of units in the building. Uh but once again this is a pre-existing condition and nothing is changing uh with respect to the way these properties have been occupied historically. I'll
pause there and answer any questions of the board. Thank you. Any questions from the board? Uh can you address whether there's any living area below the uh sea level rise design elevation? Uh through the shared great question. No. Uh we are cited for
flood flood zone which means we do have to comply with any of the flood plane requirements for any of the utilities that we include, but we're not proposing any uh subterranean living space. Thank you. Questions from the board? Yeah, Madame
Chair. Uh, hi attorney Linds. I'm uh pretty clear on the subdivision piece. I think I just I'm trying to understand a little bit more about um legalizing the six units and the historical use and how that reconciles with the layouts there. I mean, you've
got some bedrooms that are, you know, less than 7 ft by 14 ft. Um, just can you speak a little bit to that? you know, you could stick as many units in a building and come back later and then say, "Well, it was a six-unit building um when it doesn't appear that, you
know, many of those units have a whole lot of actual usable living space." Right. Um great great question, Mr. Aken. I I think the um so my client acquired the property relatively recently. Um during the acquisition, my understanding is the prior owner uh
sought to confirm occupancy. Um as is the case in many situations in the city of Boston, there are records of no occupancy for a building. Uh even though historically it may have been used as a certain number of units. So I believe when the prior owner and I I wasn't involved at the time uh sought to
confirm occupancy. They did so um not really understanding the process and simply took the default two family uh which is not correct. It's not correct for the layouts. It's certainly not correct for the number of tenants that were residing in the property. Um we
certainly are not looking to uh take units offline. Uh this is as I said has been a historic condition at the site. Uh so in order to provide the correct occupancy uh our office was retained reviewed it reviewed the existing plans uh and have uh um submitted this for the
correct occupancy at six units. Uh I do understand that the sizes of the units probably aren't the most optimal. Uh if this were new construction, we certainly wouldn't be proposing units of that size. We're just reflecting what the historic uh use of the site has been. I
believe the assessor's records actually uh would confirm that as well. Mr. Aken that this has been used uh as a multif family use for uh many many years. Thank you for that information. Thank you. Other questions from the board? Hearing none, we have public
testimony. Good uh afternoon madam chair and members of the board. My name is Eva Jones representing the mayor's office of neighborhood services regarding 1 to four personal place. Our office will defer to the board's judgment on this matter. A community process was conducted including a a butters meeting on both 123 and
31325 which was attended by about four constituents each. Uh in the first meeting there was some concerns about a butter notification and resident displacement that were no longer expressed in the second meeting. Additionally, the proposal was reviewed with the GO street neighborhood association which convened on 22425.
The association expressed support regarding the proposal and the support stems from the conditions uh that were agreed to in the meeting that 108 Orleans building remains unchanged and because fire and safety systems are being upgraded. Uh the individual that
was in opposition to the proposal stated that there was a lack of parking. Uh ultimately the association has supported the proposal and also provided a letter of support to the board. Thank you everyone for your time and consideration. Good afternoon madam chair members of the board from councelor Kles Apata's
office at this time the council would like to go and support this project. Thank you. Thank you. With that may I have I'm sorry. No raise no raised hands at this time. Okay. Thank you. With that may I have a motion?
Uh, I'll make a motion to approve with design review from the planning department. Is there a second? Second. Madam Chair, just I I don't want to speak for Jeff Hampton. We're not proposing any uh exterior modifications to the building. Um, so I'm just wondering if design review is absolutely
necessary. I apologize for interrupting the motion. That's okay. No, we can we don't have to do design review on this one. Okay. I'll make a motion for approval. Is there a second? Second,
Mr. Stebridge. Yeah, Mr. Valencia. Yes, Miss We. Oh, sorry. Yes. I thought I was unmuted. No worries. Mr. Langum? Yes. Mr. Yes.
Miss Ponado? Yes. Chair votes? Yes. The motion carries. Good luck. Thank you very much. Have a great day. Next we have case [Music] BOA1706457 with the address of 77 to 81
Terrace Street. This is also in article 80 Mo case. If the applicants andor their representative are present, would they please explain to the board? Thank you, Mr. Stembridge. Uh good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the board.
Attorney John Penini here on bea on behalf of ODJ Development in partnership with the mayor's office of housing. With with me this morning is Sam Sam Randall, the project manager, and Jonathan Garland, who will present the architectural drawings. 77 Terrace
Street at Mission Hill is zoning in both local industrial and 33000. The building parcel upon which is this is built is approximately 29,132 square ft. Uh this proposal is uh result of an RFP from the mayor's office
of housing. The subject property is currently made up of 11 uh separate parcels that are being combined and subdivided into six parcels that will be led in A through F. The application is to construct uh a new five-story building on parcel A which is
approximately 29,132 ft. The building will provide 48 100% affordable home ownership condominiums with approximately 2,000 square ft of ground floor retail and 13 off- streetet parking spaces. The
program will be 12 studios, 17 one beds, 16 two beds, and three three beds. On parcel B, the developer will construct a 15,840 square foot public park. This park this park will be designed in conjunction with the Boston Parks
Department and will be turned over to the parks department after the developer completes the construction on parcel C, which is approximately 12,000 square ft. The developer will construct a community garden for the public's use. This will be constructed in conjunction with the trustees of the reservation and will be
turned over to the trustees upon its completion. Parsons D and F are small apostles that will be uh conveyed to the abuing uh property owners uh to uh rectify uh there's some existing encroachments in use. So, we're looking at a proposal which will trans transform
a once contaminated site and into a 48 unit affordable home ownership, a new park and a community garden to be used by the uh public. At this time, if there's any questions, I'm happy to answer them, but I'll turn it over to Jonathan Garland to walk you through the architectural drawings. Thank you for
the opportunity to present. Thank you. Are there any questions from the board? Okay. Brief briefly. Okay. Um thanks uh uh chairman uh chairman. Um chairwoman, if I can just
start at the beginning there. Um so this is the uh existing plot of land. You can see on that on that plan there. It's got the grading uh shown and then the existing uh lots up on the north end of the site or the Parker Street side. Then we also have the terrace side. And as
John mentioned, we're subdividing the entire property into open space parks as well as residential building space. Uh to go to the next slide. Madam Chair, can John speak a little bit more into the microphone? It's kind of hard. That would be appreciated. Thank
you. Can you hear me better? Not so much. Just raised it up a bit. Seems like it's all the way up as far as I can go. Okay. I may just need you to speak louder then because I think we have it
on like 50 or 60. So, everybody else sounds like they're shouting. Okay. All right. Uh hopefully you can hear me. Hopefully you can hear me any better. Okay. Let's let's go to the next slide then. I'll just hold this here. Can you can you scroll down? Okay. Keep keep
scrolling past the uh site plans. Okay, thanks. So these images, the top left image is showing the building uh within the context of Terrace Street. There is a bit of an entry forcourt. You can see in the green to the left is the existing Mississippi's building. Uh and
that sort of comprises the top two images. Uh to the far right of the ground floor is uh commercial retail at the base of the building. Uh and then we have the uh four stories above that of residential units. The lower left image is showing a shot from the community
garden looking back at the building. Uh at this vantage point, uh the grade has has uh gone up gone uh gone up the street. So this is where you'll see a threetory uh building facade on this side of the building from the Parker Street. Next
slide. Uh series of floor plans here. The colors are uh the yellow is is studio apartments or studio units. Um the one beds are in the green, the two beds are in the blue, and the three beds are in the purple. And John had already given the uh the different mix of of the
unit types. We can go back to that if there are any questions. And then also I'd like to point out on the lower right hand plan that there are 13 parking spaces that are structured within the building as you can see there on the plan. Next
slide. Uh series of floor plans. I won't through walk through all the details, but this is uh because the site is navigating a 30 foot grade change from Terra Street up to Parker. You'll see a good amount of this area at grade being uh part of the undisturbed earth. But
the part that's shaded in the white, you have the bike storage which complies with City of Boston bike guidelines. We have residential entry lobby space. And then again to the south of this plan, we're showing the vehicular garage ramp and about 2,000 square ft of commercial
retail space. Next slide. Again, the parking is up on this floor, the 13 spaces, and then we're showing a series of residential units that look out across Terrace Street from here. Next slide. A typical floor plan, second
floor plan, which shows the balance of the units as you're going up the building. Next slide. I believe the third floor is very similar. Uh if you skip past that and the uh fourth floor is also very similar. Next slide. This is the roof
plan. Uh next slide. Elevations. Uh you you could probably see it better in the illustrative ren renderings but uh we are showing sort of like a simple paneling system and making sure that windows and the overall scale and the massing of the building work within the
context of the neighborhood. Next slide. And then finally is the elevation at the bottom here showing the threetory look from the higher end of the site from the Parker Street side of the site. Next
slide. and a series of building sections. I believe that concludes our design presentation. Thank you. Thank you. Are there questions from the board? Quick question. You are Go ahead. Go
ahead, sir. Okay. You are not uh since this is an affordable housing project, you are not required to provide parking. So, that is good. But anyway, you are providing 13 13 parking spaces for 48 units. How are you going to allocate
those spaces to to units? It it hasn't totally been uh sorted out, but some of the precedent models that we might follow is on a lottery system, which may happen on an annual basis. We have seen some success with that on another project we're
working on in the Jamaica plane neighborhood area, which is 45 units of affordable home ownership. And we also see the importance of some parking because these are home ownership units. Thank you. Thank you. May I have public testimony?
Yes, madam chair, members of the board, Conor Newman with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This time the mayor's office like to defer to the judge from this board some back information. The community process has went through a Boston planning, excuse me, a Boston planning and Mohled community process. uh it was very
wellreceived by the community from what I understand. Uh members of the public were pleased that there would be affordable home ownership uh allowing new families to move into the neighborhood um as well as the commitment to keeping uh the open space um accessible to all and really beautifying uh this part of Mission
Hill. Uh we've received three letters in support from residents just recently. Uh we're unaware of any concerns and with that we'll defer to the board. Thank you. Thank you. Camille Platt. Hi, my name is Camille Platt Dcasta. I am the Boston Planning Department
project manager for the project at 77 Terra Street. Um, so the project was approved by our board on March 13th of this year. The public meeting that we hosted as part of the article 80 small project review was very well attended and garnered positive feedback from the community. So at this time we defer to the board's judgment. Thank you.
Thank you. Please state your name and address for the record when you're testifying. We'll go to John and Francancy. Hi. Good morning. U Madame Chairman, members of the board, uh we're Mission Hill residents since 1985 and we have
been watching uh this project progress through various developers. We'd like to support this particular project because it is working for uh providing both community gardening space and affordable housing. We'd like the board to issue as
much uh support as they can to uh allow this appeal to go necessary go forward to allow this project to complete. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Again, please state your name and address. I will go to Christopher Bernie.
Madame Chair, members of the board, Christopher Rooney, senior development officer from the mayor's office of housing. This project will provide muchneeded affordable home ownership opportunities as well as public open space in the Mission Hill neighborhood. The ownership units will be sold to eligible households earning up to 80%
and at 100% of the area median income and Mo is in full support of the project. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes the uh testimony. That may I have a motion? I'm sorry. Is that
almost courage? Good afternoon, Madame Chair and members of the board. Sorry for the delay with raising my hand. Um the councelor Durkin for district 8 is in strong support of this project. Um she's been following this project every step of the way. Um
and has sent numerous letters. Um really pleased with the affordability of housing components. um and just really wants to make sure that her support is noted. Thank you so much. Thank you.
With that, may I have a motion? Motion to approve. There a second. Second. Second. Thank you, Mr. Stebridge. Yes. Mr. Valencio. Yes. Great project and I appreciate having 48 affordable
home ownership opportunities for Boston and that is great news. Thank you, Miss Uwell. Yes. Mr. Langel, yes. Mr. Aken, yes. Miss Ponado, yes. Chair votes, yes. The motion carries.
Goodbye. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Next, we have case VA 169825 with address of 496 to 500 Talbert Avenue. Uh do believe this is
also an employee case. Indeed. If the applicant and representative were present, would they please explain the case to the board? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Stembridge. Uh good afternoon, madam chair, members of the board, attorney Justin BR from Pini Northern Business
address 10 Forbes Road, Brainree, Mass. I'm here on behalf of the project proponent for 500 Talba A JMD property development. Also with me today is project manager Ashling Kerr. Uh proposal proposal before you today is to complete the fit out and confirm the occupancy of the two ground floor
commercial spaces of a fivestory mixeduse building. Uh providing a quick history as um as you all seem to be aware. This is an article 80 project that was originally approved by the planning department back in 2018 as a mixeduse development ground floor retail
and 40 40 residential uh units from floors 1 through five. uh it was subsequently approved by ZVA in 2019. Uh the project then completed the process for a notice of project change which increased the amount of income restricted units from 5 to 17 and
increased the number of overall units to 42 making it a 40% affordable uh project. Uh these changes were approved by both planning and TVA in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Construction began on the project in September of 2023. This
brings us to the current date where we are before you to confirm the occupancy of the two commercial retail spaces. One will be a grocery store reuse becoming the daily market. The proponent launched their first daily market in Savin Hill to great success centering on the concept of a small local ger where
neighborhood residents can pop in to purchase produce, baking supplies, pre-made meals, and the like. Uh they found there is an appetite for more such stores, and this location provides the perfect setting for their second iteration. The space will be approximately 3,000 square ft. Uh the
other commercial space will be a fitness use in the form of Bone Fitness. Bettone Fitness is a boutique fitness studio focused on Pilates based exercise classes. They have a number of franchise locations in Boston and across Massachusetts. This space would allow for a new opportunity for Beach Home to
provide small accessible fitness opportunities for the Doorchester community. This space will be approximately 1,815 square ft. Uh it is worth noting that this proposal provide uh involves no external work and renovations other than the creation of signage. Although
that will be required is the completed fit out of the interior spaces. Uh and with that I'm happy to answer any questions the board may have. Thank great thanks so much. Any questions from the board hearing? None. May I have public testimony? Yes, madam chair, members of the board
with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This time the mayor's office deferred to the judge from this board. some background information on the community process. Uh so prior this had been a BPA led project. We had an abuters meeting on April 1st specifically for the ground use uh elements. Um the meeting was well
attended. Uh there are residents there who spoke in support of the proposal uh citing um you know pleasant experiences with uh the other market that's located in Savin Hill. I'm pleased that this brand was going to be in this part of Doorchester as well as those who are
looking forward to using uh the gym use as well. Uh there were some concerns expressed about parking which the applicant was able to address and just kind of explain their business model. Um they were engaging with the St. Marks Civic Association which I understand was uh pleased with the proposal. With that,
we'll defer to the board. Thank you. Thank you. Counselor Gerald office. Hello madam chair members of the boarding missile's office would love to go on record and support this proposal. Thank you. Any other raised hands? Uh that's it.
One more. Brian War's office. Hi thank you. just wanted to express uh our support for this uh project. We also uh attended the St. Marks Association uh meeting where there was near unanimous
support uh for both of these businesses. Uh we also want to thank uh James Baker and Victoria for the excellent presentation at that meeting and uh we appreciate the community engagement and with that we are in full support. Thank you. Thank you.
With that, may I have a motion? I make a motion to approve. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Stumb. Yeah. Mr. Valencia. Yes. We will. Yes.
Mr. Langum. Yes. Miss Mr. Pan. Uh, Mr. Aken. It's fine. Yes. Long day already. Miss Panado. Yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries.
Thank you. Excuse me. Next we have case BO8167 0399 with the excuse me folks with the address of 44R Bradley Street. Uh good good
afternoon madam chair members of the board. My name is James Christopher of uh 686 uh architects with business address at 10 Forbes Road in Brainree. Um the project before you today is um um 44 Rley Street. It's it's a rear
garage. Currently there is an existing singlestory garage there. Um the application before you is to raise that garage and construct a new uh twotory garage. With that, we need some zoning relief which includes the use itself because we are proposing to have a home
office on the second floor of that garage uh for the homeowner to uh um not a professional office but just to be used as additional work space. Uh lot width is insufficient. Uh the F because we're adding about 700 ft of living
space uh increases. Uh the building height because it's a auxiliary building with two stories. Uh the sideyard and the rear yard are insufficient. Um, as we look at the uh proposed plans, this is the existing garage here. There is currently a twoft easement uh to the
left side of the garage when you when facing to the left side of the driveway uh which you can see by indicated by that hash line on this site plan. Um, and that's the existing garage there. Next slide. Keep going. Perfect. Uh and then this illustrates our proposed new um uh
paved area in front of the garage and then the new footprint of the garage uh which essentially is on the same footprint on the left end and the rear. It extends over to the right a little bit further uh to create um a threecar garage with the living space above. Next slide
please. So this is the proposed layout of the first floor garage, first floor and second floor of the garage. First floor would have three garage doors for three vehicles. Um the the client owner, Mr. Re the project owner, Mr. Rehordan, uh is a city of Boston um explosive
ordinance officer for uh Boston PD EOD. Um and his EOD truck, his bond truck is often brought home with him. Uh that was one of the precipaces for this garage was so that we had a garage that was large enough for him to park uh the truck in the garage and then for his
personal vehicles as well. We are proposing a bathroom on the first floor. Um and then no bathroom or um uh any additional living features up above. And then we have a small balcony to create a little outdoor space about 333 square ft
off of the um second floor of the garage. Next slide, please. This is the building in planned. As we can see, we have three garage doors. uh in the main uh body of the garage where the second story edition take where the office on the second
floor takes place and then to the right we have um the main doors with the uh uh balcony above. Elevation two just shows a side door entrance uh into the garage and then uh elevation three is the rear
and elevation four being the left side one facing. Next slide. Uh those are the existing elevations. So we can see the framework of the height there. It's only about 8 feet. Not tall enough to park a truck and certainly not tall enough for the EOD truck. Next
[Music] slide. Is that That's it. Uh so with that, I'll happily turn over any questions. Thank you. Uh Mr. Hampton, if you're on, can you share your recommendation and why? Uh yes. Thank
you, Madam Chair, members of the board. Jeff Hampton Planning, uh, City of Austin Planning Department. We've recommended denial without prejudice on this particular one because the the massing of an accessory garage is just, you know, out of character for
what we would normally like to see for such a use. Um, we understand uh the owner of the property and the business that he is in. Uh, however, it's just that this garage is just being the size that it is, we'd like to see it reduced.
That's all questions from the board. I have a question um for the applicant. So, I'm looking at the proposed site plan. Does the garage encroach on the
abuing property? It looks like um there's an existing easement there. It's about 2 ft. So, it would be on that easement. It's where the existing end wall of the garage is today. Okay. And do you have the dimensions of the truck you're
talking about? Like length and uh the owner is on. I'm not sure. I don't I don't know. Okay. Yeah, I I kind of agree with the planning department in this case just to kind of put that out there. So any more information you can
provide um maybe on the size of the truck maybe would be helpful. Thank you. So hopefully you can look for that as we continue with questions. Uh any other questions? Hold on one second m excuse me madam chair. Uh the owner Raphael Rion is on. Raph do you happen
to know the dimensions of your truck and uh in light of the size we're happy to work with the BPDA should the project be amendable on on the uh on the dimensions of the garage. You know should it be reduced or if if the second floor need to be cut back. Um, I know
the the we had a a strong community process. It was fairly well received by the uh High Park uh neighborhood civic association and as well as receiving support from the Abutters. Raph's a lifelong resident of this street. Uh, the no neighbors know him very well. Uh,
and um the project was well received. Other questions from the board? Uh, did you mention a deck off of the garage? And what's the need for a deck off of a garage? Um, if you can go down to the plans, I
can illustrate why we did that. Right there. Um, so if you look the on the first floor, we created the the bathroom and some additional work space to the right of the parking area. Um, and we just had that open space up above. And since we were creating the
the space of the office, uh, we thought it was a viable space to use. Any other questions from the board? Hearing none, we'll take public testimony. Madame chair and members of the board, for the record, my name is Jeremy Berebury. I am the hide park community engagement specialist for the
office of neighborhood services. The applicant has completed the community process which consisted of an abutters meeting very lightly attended and facilitated on January 7th where abutters were only uh voiced support for the proposal. Uh next, the proposal was presented to the East Ripper Neighborhood Association where they
received a vote of neutrality. Uh they voted neutral. Uh to date, our office has received one letter of support from the Hide Park Neighborhood Association as well. Thank you for your time with the mayor's office of neighborhood services would like to defer to the board for the journey. Thank you. Thank
you. We have one raised hand. Please state your name and uh address for the record. Hi, my name is My name is Patricia Reed and I'm a lifelong resident of 41 Bradley Street which is across the street from 44 Bradley Street. I'm also
the the mother obviously of Raphael. Um I would just like to say that we are both lifelong residents. We get along with everybody in the neighborhood. There is not a single person in the neighborhood that opposes this. And when you ask about the size of the truck, it's like an F350. It's not like a
humongous dump truck or anything crazy. It's just that he wants to have be able to have that in a space when he brings it home because right now it's kind of cajumbled in his driveway. Also, I would just like to make you aware, I mean, he's trying to grow his family and he just needs
additional space. And when it comes to the the um I'm going to say patio, the the deck on the top, he right now does not have any deck on his porch on a porch coming off of his house. So something like that is something that he would like to have as well. Thank you.
Any other questions from the board? Hearing none. Is there a motion? I'm sorry. Madame chair, I will put forward a motion of approval with proviso for BPDA design review to pay particular
attention to to improving the setbacks of this accessory building. Um the massing as well as the amount of paving and you know no additional paving beyond what's necessary to access the driveway.
Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Stebridge. Yes. Mr. Valencia? Yes. Miss Weo? Yes. Mr. Lango? Yes. Mr. Aken? Yes. Miss
Ponado? Yes. Chair votes? Yes. The motion carries. With that, let's take a 15minute break. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Recording stopped. Bridge
present. Madam Chair, Mr. Valencia present. Miss Weell present. Mr. Langum present. Mr. Aken present. Miss Canonado present. Okay. Disclosure is Mr.
Sunbridge. Thank you, Madam Chair. We'll start off with case the case BOA 169 6783. Uh it's it's an article 80 case. I believe we will hear from
attorney Morancey on this one. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Seambridge. Uh good afternoon, Madam Chair, members. My name is George Morancey. I'm an attorney with the business address of 350 West Broadway in South Boston. I represent Monarch Development and its principal.
Joey Akari Architectural Services are being provided by SUSA design architect and Dennis Greenwood from SUSA is also here today. As Mr. Stebridge noted, this is an article 80 small project approved by the BPDA board last December. Madam Chair, I will not activate my camera in
light of the difficulties that we had last week. Um, so the proposed project consists of a new four-story mixeduse building containing 12 new ones residential apartment units primarily market rate with two
affordable one-bedroom units at 70% AMI provided in accordance with the city of Boston's inclusionary development policy as well as approximately 3,80 ft of ground floor commercial space planned to consist of a new restaurant. The
building will be served by an atgrade parking area in the rear which will accommodate six motor vehicles accessed via New Hill place uh which is a public way running into the site from west uh third east third street uh with on-site
secure storage in the building of 12 bicycles. Project site consists of two parcels of land totaling approximately 5600 square ft. The site is zoned MFRLS, multif family residential local service, where the proposed multi- family
residential use is allowed and the proposed restaurant use is conditional. Uh in a moment, Dennis Greenwood will briefly walk the board through the architectural drawings. I'll first speak to the zoning relief being requested. The uh proposed building uh first of all
has a footprint only modestly larger than the existing building uh with basement storage uh for that restaurant use uh and for the building generally. Uh the relief is being sought here for building height in the relevant MFRLs
zoning subdist. Maximum zoning height is 35 ft. uh which is somewhat curious uh with respect to east and west Broadway which are South Boston's main retail and mixeduse corridors since the rest of residential South Boston allows 40 ft. Be that as it may, this building
proposed at 44 1/2 ft is in fact consistent with um height as build height in the surrounding area. Um both existing building stock as well as other new buildings recently approved by the board. Much like building height, the
maximum F is also somewhat curiously lower under MFRLS zoning than under MFR zoning. Uh and it's set at 1.5. The proposed F here is 3.58. Uh which is also and as planning
boards um article 80 memo points out consistent with established uh dimensional context in the area. Uh this consistency with surrounding context is also applicable to the building side setback distances with the right side
being conforming in the left side connected to the building on its left rather than having the required 3-ft sideyard setback. This owes to providing um street wall continuity in what is essentially a mixed user commercial uh
area of East Broadway. Um, and the building on the left is also owned uh by my client. Uh, another somewhat curious feature of MFRS zoning is that it requires an extraordinary large minimum of 5,000 square ft for a single dwelling
unit. As I mentioned, the total size of this lot is 5,600 square ft. The zoning refusal letter sites a rear yard insufficiency violation. The required rear setback is 20. Uh and this building uh substantially meets that 20 foot setback requirement to the ground level.
Uh there are um rear bays projecting into the setback area at the seconds story level and above. Uh these are allowed as uh as projections into a required rear yard. But they do have um they're two small posts uh that are
supporting these bays. uh and they also uh come to ground in the required setback area which is the reason for that citation but as I said the face of the building wall the second story and above um um meets the setback but for
the uh but for the projecting base uh there's a violation for insufficient off street parking of course and for off- streetet parking design with respect to design and maneuverability the number of required parking spaces for the residential ial use is 11, one for each
market rate unit and 1.4 for the two IDP units. Uh, and the number of parking spaces provided is, as has been indicated, six. As for the maneuverability, there's a virtually clear 20ft drive and turning lane to the rear of the parking spaces, five of
which are full-sized with one being a compact space measuring 7 1/2 by 20 ft. There's also a usable open space violation. Uh the six rear units uh each has a balcony of either 90 or 95 square
ft. It was deemed undesirable uh by the community during community process for the building to have either front-facing balconies or uh a roof deck. The proposed restaurant use is conditional. My client, Mr. Verkari is an experienced
restaurant owner operator who formerly operated numerous restaurants in the city generally and in South Boston in particular. This is an appropriate location for a restaurant as it is the main retail corridor in South Boston along with West Broadway with numerous
examples of other restaurants operating successfully in the immediate area. We are aware that there are concerns about the details of the proposed restaurant uh it's operating hours and capacity. For example, as uh Mr. Akari explained
during community process, he recently stepped back from restaurant operations and will not be managing this proposed restaurant. Although he will continue to own the real estate, his goal is for this space to be a chef driven restaurant offering something above pub
fair. and he has been speaking with numerous potential operators. As the board knows, there's a separate licensing board process which would address all outstanding issues of operational concern expressed during community process. But independent of that, my client has promised that he
intends this to be highquality sitdown restaurant with notable cuisine which will be professionally and responsibly managed. Uh with that, Madam Chair, just very very briefly, uh Dennis Greenwood will go through the plan so the board can get a better idea of the building.
Dennis, thank you, George. Dennis Greenwood with SUA Design Architects located at 81 Boilston Street in Brooklyn. Um so the slide that we have up now is an exterior rendering along East Broadway. You can see we looked at the context um and looked to tie the building into the the
context along East Broadway in terms of following the zero setback along East Broadway to make sure there's that continuous modal um we're following the modal setback along East Broadway as well as the general vernacular. We're using the the red brick for the kind of masonry field. We're looking at
pilasters that come down. Uh we have black brick along the first floor. We have a small sign band that projects out uh 30 in over the sidewalk just to give a little area for signage. Um we're looking at recess panels and kind of factory style looking windows double
along. Um again we're at 44t 6 in which was consistent with uh the elevation of the the newer buildings along East Broadway including the one that you kind of see in the background there uh at the corner of L and East Broadway. Um, so as an infill building, we're looking at kind of tying into the the context of
the neighborhood in terms of scale, uh, mixeduse development and materiality. Um, there are a total of 12 units in the building. So the second, third, and fourth floor each have, uh, four residential dwellings at onebedroom piece, one bedroom, one bath. Um, and
then again on that first floor, which you see there's a large amount of transparency and glazing there. Uh that's the the proposed restaurant use, that conditional use that's just under 3,100 square ft on that first floor. Um you know, I I think George ran through a
lot of the zoning pieces already. I'm happy to answer any plan specific uh questions there may be since it looks like we're already kind of at the end of the slideshow here. Sure. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Are there any questions from the board? Hearing none, may I follow the
testimony? Yes, madame chair, members of the board, Connor Newman with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. At this time, the mayor's office like to defer to the judge from this board some background information the community process. Uh so this went through a Boston planning led community process involving a public
meeting in October of 2024. Uh eventually it was approved by the BPA board on December 12th of 2024. Uh we understand that they met with the City Point Neighborhood Association which after discussion uh came out in opposition of the proposal. Uh they expressed concerns regarding uh the
height in relation to uh a corner lot on that street. Um as well as concerns regarding the parking ratio and the potential capacity of the bar. Uh they felt that with the bar being located next to another bar with a large capacity, uh this would lead to the
sidewalk uh being taken over and being very challenging for um disabled residents, families with strollers, etc. to navigate and be able to access uh that MBTA bus stop there. Uh with those concerns, I'll defer to the judge of the
board. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, Madame Chair and members of the board. This is Vanessa Woo from Councelor Flynn's office. Um, councelor Flynn would like to go on a record and support due to a good community process that look to address neighborhood
quality of life concerns, including the absence of the roof deck and adding six parking spaces. At the same time, councilman would like to see additional work by the development team with the community in the licensing board process
as it relates to neighbors concerns on the nature of the restaurant itself, the capacity, the hours of operation and issues of accessibility and potential lines on the sidewalk outside the establishment. Thank you. Thank you. Any
other race hands? There are no raised stand at this moment. Thank you. Any other questions from the board? May I have a motion? I'll make a motion to approve. There a second.
Mr. Stebridge. Yes. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss Luwell. Yes, Mr. Limo. Yes, Mr. Aken. Yes, Miss Ponado. Yes, Cher. The motion carries.
Good luck. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have two companion cases. The first being case BOA170 3885 with the address of 222 St. Teresa
Avenue. Along with that, we have case BOA1703888 with the address of 224 St. Teresa Avenue. If the applicant andor their representative are present, will they please explain to the board? Hello, Madam Chair, members of the
board. My name is Steven Dario. I'll be representing the applicant. I do have Sarah Valardi who will be the contractor and Eric Zacherson uh who is the architect for this project. For the project goal is to subdivide a
13,700 ft lot and erect two new single families for 222 St. Teresa. Uh the variance we are seeking is lot width. If we scroll to the next page um as you can see it's a geometrical challenging lot. We do have the frontage
and the width in the middle of the back of the lot or the back of the building but not in the rear of the lot. Um, that's the only variance we're seeking uh for 222 St. Teresa. I'm happy to walk through the plans or we can jump over to 224 St. Teresa.
Um, final jump 224. Okay, 224. Um, same same thing with the lot width. Uh we do have the frontage and the width in the middle of and rear of the building, but the lot tapers in. So it triggers the uh lot width. Um in the frontage, we're
seeking relief. Um we were proposing 17 versus the 20 ft required. Uh the house was originally moved up. We spoke with the neighbor across the street and um you know, we settled on 17 ft. In terms of the side setback, uh we
do we are conforming on the right side. That was one of the um requests that the neighbor next door had was to be a minimum 10 feet as we are. Um and we're seeking relief on the left side. Um but the building for 222 was moved over more
to the left. So we do have significant space between the two buildings. Um and then there's the FAR. Uh this one does have a finished basement uh making it a little bit larger in square footage, but other than that, those are the the only variances on this on this proposal.
Okay. Thank you. Are there questions from the board? Hearing none, may have public testimony. Madam chair and board members, Sig Johnson with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This petitioner completed the ONS community process. Our office hosted an abuters meeting on January 27th at which there were a
number of concerns raised from Abutters about setbacks, the possibility that blasting would be necessary in the construction process, and the loss of a mature tree. proponent presented to the West Roxbury neighborhood council which requested a number of changes to the setbacks and proponents made those
changes. It represented to the west west Roxbury neighborhood council which prompted that group to support the revised proposal. Uh to our knowledge there is still a direct a butter opposed to the revised proposal. With that background we defer judgment to the board. Thank you. Thank you.
Any other raised hands? We have one raised hand. Please state your name and uh name and address for the record. Tim, my name is Tim Burke. Um I live at 216 St. Teresa Avenue which abuts the
single lot that is next door. Um at the outset uh missed the statement from the city's representative may have missed a few facts that the entire neighborhood is opposed to this uh property. It was quite obvious in the first meeting and in the second meeting all the director
Butters uh want nothing to do with it and there's a number of reasons I could detail some of them and take hopefully very few minutes in opposing uh this project. The first and foremost this is the second attempt by this landowner to
try to put two houses on this lot. This was brought up five years ago and I've sent the board a letter on the merger doctrine with neighborhood appro neighborhood opposition which is exactly the same as it was last time. It's much stronger this time and with the issues
with the merger doctrine which you all greater than I do. I don't do merger. I don't do only bedroom tax work. uh the with the requirements of the merger document here uh this property the whole idea of developing this property
fell I don't know if anybody knows why it fell apart but it never went forward so all the information you can get today is virtually the same information you had 5 years ago and I do not believe I was never notified that this board has ever heard this issue before. Um so what
we have here is a single lot. Um the lot is totally merged for zoning purposes. It has been for quite some time I provided the board with details exacting details as to why it's a single lot. It's not two lots as is reflected in the filings with the board is a single lot.
And what we have here is someone for the second time trying to put too much house on too little of property. That is the objection. Nobody I've never heard in any of these meetings anybody in the neighborhood being cursed to
improving the neighborhood. Matter of fact, I put it on Mr. Dario directly at one of the meetings just give us a basically panoramic. I can't again I'm not a developer. I don't title all the language but just show how it affects
everybody else's house. Thank you. To this day that has never happened. So, I I've spent the been on the since 10:30 trying not to miss this meeting. Uh I I encourage some of the people talk about community involvement. Well, there really hasn't been any. It's
been hostile to this development. Um and what I'm what I'm requesting is that simply the law is the law. It's supposed to everybody is supposed to be treated fairly. We have zoning laws that to be applied. He hasn't made one argument as
to why the merger doctrine should be applied here. He hasn't made any arguments as to why he should selectively be granted authority to build houses when there's no not even an argument. Never mind his burden proof. He hasn't
even made an argument. He's just trying to slide this by the board because quote unquote there's a slide there's a housing shortage. Um I respect Thank you. roughly request that you guys deny the these only requests and if you have any
questions I'll I'll do my best to answer. Thank you sir. Any other hands? We have one more Steve Dari. Well, he's the proponent. Are there any other No. Okay. So, please respond to those concerns. Yeah. In
terms of the size, I mean, if we can go back to 222 St. Teresa, we we shrank that house and we actually moved it over to 12 ft of a setback versus 10. I mean, we're within the zoning the zoning laws for everything but the lot width. So, we're not going for far. Uh we we meet
the side front all the setbacks um in terms of the house. So, it being too much house, I'm really just following the the zoning guidelines. And then in terms of this merger doctrine, you know, it's my understanding that ISD requires a subdivision plan. We filed the alt,
but once we get approvals, we actually go and file the subdivision. Um, you know, I I I kind of propose at this time if if there's a, you know, the board kind of move based on the the merits of this proposal and if there's a bigger legal decision, um, you know, that board
approval wouldn't uh trump that that decision. But I I mean in terms of his house, it's it's a 12oot setback. I kicked it over 12 feet. Um just to give him more space. That was the original issue. Um in the neighborhood meeting um
and you know the murder doctrine I'm just hearing for the first time today. Is there parking for this? I see a driveway adjacent. I don't know. Yeah, there's parking for both two garage spots. Okay. Thank you. Any question
from the board? Oh, sorry. Sorry. Hearing none. Is there a motion? Is there a second? Second. Mr. Stebridge. Yes. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss Vio. Yes.
Mr. Lang. No. Mr. Aken. Yes. Miss Bonado, yes. Air votes yes. The motion carries. Thank you. Hearing
none, we'll move on to case BOA 169 234 with the address of 9 Oak Square. Um, I know this is this case
represented by Jerry Morancey. That is correct. Thank you, Mr. Stembridge. Um, good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the board. My name is George Morancey. I'm an attorney with the business address at 350 West Broadway in South Boston. I represent
Peter Ben Simon who along with his family has owned 9 Oak Square Avenue for the past 25 years. My client is proposing to completely renovate the building, erect a rear edition, and change the legal occupancy from a four family dwelling to a six family
dwelling. The site is very large and very irregularly shaped. The lot size is 13,311 square ft and the zoning district is 35000. This means that solely in terms of lot size, the site is large enough
for two three family dwellings. Uh but rather than seeking to erect a second building, my client is rather seeking to modestly expand the existing building and add two units. Uh there are two violations related to the proposed six
family use. a multif family use and 3F zoning of course requires a variance with the second violation being the extension of that non-conforming use the the present four unit building um by
more than 25% in area or volume. So the uh multif family uh use in the 3F and the extension of the non-conforming use. There are two dimensional violations. Insufficient front yard setback and insufficient sideyard setback. And these
are the only two dimensional violations. With respect to the front yard setback, there is virtually no difference between the existing and proposed front yard setbacks. the reconstruction of the front porch and stairs here simply shift the position of the uh of the two stairs
leading up to the porch and those stairs are within the area of the required front yard setback. Frankly, I believe they're actually allowed projections into a front yard and therefore code compliant, but they have in fact been cited by ISD as requiring relief. With
respect to the sideyard setback violation, the rear edition, which is modest in size and which is zoning compliant, uh will actually um cause an existing right side nonconformity to be eliminated. Uh so it's actually reducing
um uh the right side nonconformity that presently exists because it's reducing a a small jut out on that side of the building or eliminating that jut out. Likewise, a small portion of the existing building extending into the left side setback is is also being
eliminated. So, both side setbacks are going to be conforming with respect to distance from the lot lines. Uh but the code here also requires an aggregate distance from buildings abuing on each side of the lot and that aggregate number is 15 ft. five feet from the lot
line plus 10 feet additional uh from the abuing buildings side walls. The existing uh aggregate right now is 13.7 ft uh which is not going to be uh um uh reduced at all. Uh the rear
edition itself complies with the side setback requirements. Uh meaning that the cited violations owe to the existing setback conditions that are merely being uh extended horizontally backwards. Uh and where they're being extended backwards, there
are no uh there are no building walls of the abuing buildings. They don't go back that deep. This is an exceptionally deep block. Uh I need to point out the original zoning refusal letter cited a violation for a forbidden uh basement unit. This was an erroneous citation as
the unit in question which is unit two is actually a ble unit. The plans examiner uh correctly removed that violation from the updated zoning refusal letter issued yesterday. uh and no relief is being sought for uh uh
basement unit because there is no basement basement unit. And this relates to why this matter uh was deferred. Uh as a reminder to the board, we originally deferred this at my client's request to allow for the removal of one parking space consisting with the
planning recommendation. uh which while supportive of the change of use in the rear edition argue that the parking ratio should be no more than one one as seven parking spaces were originally proposed for the six units. We addressed the planning recommendations concerns by
removing one parking space uh which is reflected in the updated plans approved by ISD. In addition, the planning recommendation and also incorrectly identified unit two as being a basement unit. I think just taking that from the zoning recusal letter. Uh and the recommendation suggested the
introduction of light welds. Uh again, the unit in question is a BLE unit and rather than than light wells, uh there are actually five windows on three sides of the unit uh as well as a sliding glass door opening to the rear yard. So, plenty of light and air for the portion
of the unit that's at the basement level. Uh, which again is is is substantially um or at least partially at grade uh in the rear of the building. There is no unit living space in the front of the basement. That's all mechanical storage
area. With that, Madam Chair, I'll pause and take any questions that uh that any members may have. Thank you. Are there questions from the board? Um, not question. Well, uh, question for Mr. Hampton if he's still with us.
Yes, Mr. Samage. Um, could you explain um the planning department's response? Well, if there was only a new zoning violation letter written yesterday, um there's no way we would have seen it as you guys had received these
recommendations last week and I know that there was communication about whether or not ISD had indeed reviewed this because this date was coming. So, we had no new zoning letter nor new plan showing this.
So, um, you know, we stand by our recommendation and I understand changes may have been made. It may have been approved by ISD yesterday, but we would never have known that. So, um, you know, ours is based on what we had in front of
us at the time and not what was uh, recently approved by ISD. Understood. Thank you, Jeff. Thank you. Any other questions from the board? So, just for clarification, can you go over the elevations that show that basement unit and explain the ceiling
heights and how that that unit functions? Uh, yes, Mato. I think that the slide that is up now is uh is pretty good uh in terms of showing the rear unit. So if we look at the uh let's say the lower of
that of where there are four elevations grouped together and if we go to the lower right where it says existing left elevation I think that provides um a good indication or actually either one of those uh those side elevations
provide a good indication. So looking at it, um the uh the you the portion of the unit in the basement uh begins little bit beyond say the mid portion of that that side elevation. So
when you get to the rear it is, as I say, substantially or almost fully um uh at grade and uh I think just on these elevations, we're not showing the existence unfortunately like on the right elevation of of a window that is
actually in place there. But uh if we look on uh the the uh uh the uh floor plans actually uh if we look at the uh at the slide that shows uh the floor plan uh
the proposed floor plan in the basement uh what can be seen is that the portion of the unit uh that is uh in the in let's say the basement begins approximately halfway back uh and there is a small window for the bedroom on
each side and then a full-size window in the living room area and then as I say those sliders going out. So the renderings actually do a better job. I'm sorry I just not being able to control the plans uh is a little puts me at a bit of a disadvantage. But if we go to
the area where the renderings are uh they're more detailed than those uh those elevations I was referring to. And I think if we scroll I think we have to scroll down. They do a much better job. Uh
down. George, I'm here. There we go. Do you want me to Oh, Daniel is here. Oh, Daniel Martinez is here. And this is this is the section I was going for. Daniel, why don't this is Daniel Martinez from Cala Design. Uh Daniel, why don't you take over? You're much better at
this than I am. Uh so, good afternoon everybody. I'm Daniel uh Martinez, architect at KI who worked on the plans. Uh basically what we're doing for the basement is that we're actually proposing a walk out patio. Um before the patio was raised up so it was
halfway through the level. Uh we're proposing to even that out and um you know do a walk out patio so that uh the basement the basement unit can get full light and they can uh get the benefits of uh you know the other units. But
we're also doing that for the accessibility from the from the parking. Um if you look at the site plan uh or our van where it's located, uh there's a slope that connects towards that walk out patio uh at a 5%
slope. Yes. So if we look at a site plan on the right, uh P3 is our accessible band space. Uh once you get off the van, uh you can go to the slop and walkway which has the 5% um uh slope and then
you can get to the walkout patio. Um and again, because this is an existing building, the accessibility requirements are are less strict. Uh but because of the amount of parking spaces, that's why we're offering the accessible van space
and therefore um you know the way that it worked with the site was to make uh unit 2 accessible uh by providing a future lift location that connects to uh the the B level. Did that question? Thank Yes. Thank you.
Any other questions from the board? I have a couple of questions, Madame Chair. I So, I see on this plan right here, it says existing gravel area, but I I think on the existing conditions, there's still like the topo line, so
it's hard to understand what's existing, what's proposed with that parking area. Um, and then I guess my second question is, you know, there's a lot of you're losing a lot of green open space for this and with the additional parking
area for vehicles, have you considered further reducing the ratio? Um, and is there anywhere where you've um in uh contemplated bicycle parking?
Um so I I will answer that existing gravel parking area is is uh relatively flat uh when you visit the site. Uh there is a grade change because um the the principal building is located
uh on a slope and basically the it slopes down uh towards the other end of the site. Uh as far as the open space, uh we believe that the walk up patio uh is a good um you know it's it it actually um makes
the open space better just because the the patio that is in right now. It's uh you know it's not usable uh you know in terms of the materials that are there and uh also the space itself is not adequate. Uh we believe that we're we're
actually making the situation better by offering a full walk out patio that can be integrated with the unit. Um as far as the other uh aspects of the parking area, we're actually increasing the green space. Um most of that is again
gravel. Uh we're putting a configuration that is uh you know more standard uh to the circulation of of the cars. uh and therefore we're using this to create buffers um that again uh increase the
landscape of the area and uh also we will George Morancey uh the the the site now currently has parking in the back. It is basically pre-existing parking that's not legally tied to the building. In other words,
it's it's not uh parking pursuant to an issue permit. It predates the code. So, it's a situation that has existed and as as Danielle pointed out, we're actually increasing green space in the parking area. It was a little bit less when there was seven spaces that owed
primarily to the uh the HP space that's being provided. Uh we we were consistent with the planning recommendation by reducing the parking to one one and we didn't do that by removing the HP space. We believe that that's an important uh an important feature to have. Um but I
think overall what's happening is actually an increase in actual uh green space but point taken that I think that uh you know certainly it can be looked at it at you know maybe some of the area that that now shows as pvious paver could be more green and that's something
we would certainly be open to if this were to be approved with design review. Great. Thanks. Any bike parking? We not not currently, but we can look into it. Is there some It's not not in the
basement, Daniel. I thought there might have been. Uh, let me just run through the plans. And are you demolishing a number of large trees on this site? It's hard to tell where the trees belong, but it looks like there's a fair amount of large trees behind this building.
We're not proposing to uh cut down trees. Thank you. Thanks. And I think while it's not shown, I think there is adequate space uh in the basement uh uh with, you know, given the size of the the common utility room and uh some some
other area there. So, we can certainly look at introducing bicycle storage in the basement. With that, let's have a public testimony. Madame Chair and board members, C Johnson with the mayor's office of neighborhood services. This petitioner completed the ONS community process. Our
office hosted an abut butters meeting on December 11th of 2024 at which three of Butters expressed that they wanted the site to have more parking. One of Butter expressed concern about the possible loss of a mature tree. There were no comments about the building design made at the Butters meeting. Proposal was
presented to the Brighton Alston Improvement Association which voted to support the proposal. With that background, we defer judgment to the board. Thank you. Thank you. With that, may I have a motion? We have one testifier, Annabelle Gomes. Yeah.
Okay. Annabelle Gomes from the Brighton Austin Improvement Association. We'd like to go on record and support. They proposed this twice to the to the association and made changes that were acceptable and we'd like to go on record and support. Thank you. Any other race
to hand? No, that's it. May I have a motion? Madame Chair, I will put forward a motion of approval with a proviso um for design review with just special attention to the parking area. Um any
way they can, you know, further screen that, use light colored materials so it's not, you know, asphalt. Um, I'd really like them to consider that and to somehow incorporate bike parking whether it's in the common area in the basement or somewhere else.
Is there a second? Second. Mr. Stumbridge? Yeah. Mr. Valencia? Yes. Misswell? Yes. Mr. Langum? Yes. Mr.
Aken? Yes. Miss Bonado? Yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next we have case BO8 1669678 with the address of 879 to 881
Blue Hill Avenue. If the applicant andor their representative are present, will they please explain to the board? Yes. Good afternoon. My name is Yara Pñena. I am the um chief operating officer for El Punto restaurant, Lounge,
and Function Hall. We are here today to change of occupancy to include live entertainment in our space and allow us to open our doors to the public. Um since our last meeting, we voluntarily reduced our occupancy to 240. Um we have
the contracted uh bunker security. Uh we have our camera, emergency light, signage and music um kill switch um as asked for by the fire department train staff in aggress and emergency procedures um secure rack control and trash removal services and importantly
we've confirmed our sound levels remain within safe city approved decel limits especially for our abutters uh on Angel Street and we've chosen um prevent parking for valet um and While the contract isn't signed due to a 3,000
appro, we'll finalize it immediately immediately off um upon approval um here today and we also offering ride share discounts and group pickups to reduce traffic and um the amount of parking uh because of our amount of parking spaces
in the area. Um we have committed to monthly about meetings with the greater Madapan neighborhood council. We've met with um Captain Flynn from um B3 and Sergeant
um Joe as well as our community safety director Isaac um from city hall to make sure that we are in compliance. Um and at this point
um um we are waiting for our approval. Thank you. Thank you for those updates. Um just a quick question on the valley. You mentioned the valley parking. Uh I know there was some concern about um the availability of
nearby parking. How how does uh I guess how does that work in conjunction with the you know sort of scarcity of parking? Yes. So, we are um like I said mentioning, we're using the back space of of of
um of 879 Blue Hill. We talked about we have some parking in the front and we are also considering off- streetet parking that is going to be done by the valet service on Bloom Hill. A questions from the board. Uh can you
talk about your hours of operation? Yes. So, we are um requesting and we're willing to work um on this by Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday to um allow us to be open until 2:00 a.m. and then Tuesday through Thursday into 11:00 p.m.
3 to 11:00 p.m. We're not doing breakfast or lunch. We're only doing dinner and the lounge area. So, the Friday to Monday is also 300 p.m. opening. Yes. Okay. Um, have the voters expressed any
concern about the hours of operation? Um, they have. Um, the greater neighborhood um council, they they um showed their support with the provision of us being open until 12
only. But I think the main concern is the parking spaces. I mean, I think a 1:00 a.m. There are many parts of the city that have a 1:00 a.m. closing time. Uh, I think too, given that it's on a, you know, a residential street is a little
excessive. So, sounds like you might be open to a a 1:00 a.m. closing time. Okay. We have questions from the board hearing. None. have public testimony. Yes, madame chair, members of the board, calling in the mayor's office of
neighborhood services. This time the mayor's office deferred to the judge from this board some background information the community process. Uh so as the board is familiar um we previously had an abuters meeting on December 12th and the applicant had met with the greater manipan neighborhood council. After the board instructed more
community process uh we hosted another meeting on April 9th. uh was well attended uh by a large number of residents on Angel Street. The applicant presented um updates regarding uh the hiring of a a bonded security company um
as well as their valet uh valet company that would be handling parking in the rear of the building. Uh there were a number of residents on that expressed concerns regarding the parking situation. You know, some doubted that they'd be able to fit um 40 cars in in
the rear premise. I doubted if there would be the possibility of finding um off streetet parking elsewhere as well. Um as well as some concerns related to noise and as well as safety with residents uh departing the business late at night if there would be fights or
other type of uh conflicts there. Uh residents have dealt in the past with cars blocking driveways uh for people attending um unlicensed parties in uh the Franklin Park area. After this meeting uh we
received uh one letter in opposition uh we received uh from in support we received three letters in support from abutters uh 40 letters in support from Boston residents uh from places such as other parts of Dorchester Jamaica plane high park etc.
Uh we also received 14 letters in support from non Boston residents uh from places such as Lawrence Lynn uh and um the greater manipan neighborhood council had just submitted a new letter today. I see that uh Fatima is on um expressing that they would support uh
the proposal with certain provisos uh you know signed contract private parking um experienced valet service uh signed contract with the security service regular monthly meetings uh with the butters uh set up with GMNC Boston
police and the district 4 counselor um to kind of talk through any issues that would occur later uh an agreement not to have the restaurant and function hall occurring um using being in operation at the same time, the decrease of the operating hours, either 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. Um as mentioned, uh the
applicant talked about their security plan. Part of that was also seeking out um Boston police details on the weekends um and ensuring that also other security is is kind of going up and down Angel Street uh to make sure that there's not just issues um just on the premise, but
if they spill over that they're being addressed as well. With that information, we'll defer to the board at this time. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, like testimony from the counselor's office. Anastasia.
Hi. Yes. Um, I'm Anastasia. I'm speaking on behalf of District 4 city councelor Brian Rural. Um just wanted to express that uh uh support for the project as long as they're willing to follow through on those requested provisors um
uh based on the uh requests from community and GMNC including signing a contract with private parking um for valley services uh also uh contracting security services and holding monthly meetings with the butters um police in
our office as well. um and agreement not to have both use of the restaurant and the function hall occurring at the same time. Um thank you. Okay, we do have six uh testimony. Please state your name and uh address
for the record. Start with good morning. I mean good afternoon. My name is Fatal Salam 34 Burma Street Manipan. I'm shared right neighborhood council. the I believe my letter was read by Connor already, but um we just
to let you know we have been speaking with the um uh with Europe um about the area and and the greatest concern to make sure that communication is constant and that we do need to pay attention to parking.
We are glad that prey parking which is a very experienced valet service. they were the service that was actually used during the NAACP Boston convention uh in 2023. So, we know that they have experience in actually parking. But
because this is a residential area uh on on private streets to where people have their own private events, we also want to make sure that we strike a balance and whatever adjustments that we have to make as community members that we hold
um a good neighbor policy and that we're all being open and honest with each other. Uh we want the your business uh business to succeed. We don't want anyone to fail. Um, and we're going to do our best to um, mitigate whatever issues come up during um, whatever
process. So, if there are any questions, I I'll be here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Start with uh, Amanda. Hey. Um, good members of the board. Uh, just wanted to state that for the
record, I was um, I am a director and I was not notified of this meeting. Um, just wanted to state that Angel Street is predominantly residential area. Um, it's a home of many families, children, seniors, and working individuals that rely on a peaceful
environment. Um, just introducing a nightclub with library detainment would bring late noise, traffic congestion, public intoxication, parking shortages, and um, potentially increased crime, which would drastically degrade our quality of life.
Um, this type of business is compatible with our current zoning and land use of our community. We believe that permitting a nightclub and live entertainment establishment would set a presence that could undermine the stability and cohesion of our neighborhood. Um, so we at Angel Street are mostly concerned with um the noise
pollution, the traffic and parking. And I know at the last supper meeting they were supposed to show pictures of the parking area in the back with the lines of where um the parking is going to be and also the spots that they're talking about in the front. And I have not seen
the area where the valley plans on parking these cars. Um the photo that they show in the um that the photo that was shown in the beginning does not show the area um in the back. There is a lot in the back, but there are no lines and
it's it's a small area. Um and um property value, just the presence of a nightclub can make the area less desirable to families or quiet living potentially lowering surrounding property values. Um safety, litter and
vandalism, um which is also a big concern. Um residential zones are intended for peaceful living. A nightclub introduces a A nightclub introduces um a commercial high activity presence. Our community on
Angel Street is committed to preserving the safety, peace, and residential integrity of our neighborhood. Many residential zones have regulations that restrict commercial establishments like nightclubs to preserve community quality of life. And we ask that you stand with us on protecting ours. Um I know that
they had talked about um Please wrap up. We do have other I'm sorry. Um, yeah, I think those are all mine. Thank you. That's it. Yeah. Thank you. We'll go to Kimberly.
Okay, we'll move on to Gerald Frasier. Uh, thank you. Jo Frasier investor Rose, longtime president of Roxbury, Georgia. Thank you so much. I'm not sure what meeting um you were attending uh uh but
they were close to 15 people at the last meeting and uh the 15 people were very um adamant of not supporting this. Um and there is no supporters on Angel Street in the surrounding areas. Um I
literally went to every house to every owner and his own on the phone. There's no one supporting this um venture and you know I I I do admire Mr. Ortiz um but Mr. Tise I just want you to know
that Nicholas and Earl and the owners of what does Spring Capital and PW Development make concessions and promises. It's not true. They you do not they do not own the
um uh tire shop that is owned by uh another organization which has nothing to do with with PW development and it's it's imperative that we understand that right now at at this point um there's a
lot of mis representation the parking which they had initially spoke to at the church. The pastor sent a letter in with along with 20 letters to the um uh city
which I documented that the parking is not allowed. So there's a lot of statements that are made and not on your behalf. You it's what you've been told. It's not true. There's no parking in the area. There's none at the at um Cabaden
the boys club all that area there. Angel Street. There is nothing available for um what what you spoke on as um please wrap up. Okay, I will I will um parking
for a a valet and the last thing I want to say is which is which is imperative that a lot of the promising of housing around around that we've been promised with this owner right um what they did in Brighton and other areas of the city
I mean you know labor has been important and hiring people that are not residents that are not living in the city just like you said you got letters from other areas of of the you don't get no letters from from from resident in that area and that's my point. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Can you just be brief? We'll go to Cardriani. Uh good morning, Madam Chair and board. Uh my name is uh Sister Cadrian. I live at 10 Vesta Road. I've been living here for 31 years. I'm the founder of the
vesto community revitalization block party. We're looking forward to celebrating our 10th annual block party um this year and the purpose of the block block party has been to combat the violence in the inner city so that we could have a peaceful um community and
along with the help of the city uh we have accomplished improving um veester road and uh we would like to continue to have a peaceful residence. So, I'm in opposition to it. I'd like to also speak about um a couple of years ago that
there was an illegal um after hour across the street from from u my house here on Veester Road. It was uh related to one of the businesses on on um uh Blue Hill A and um um individuals would
come out of that that establishment 4 or 5:00 in the morning making all kinds of noise. And there was one occasion when I spoke up and said, you know, people live on the street and there are elderly people and people with disabilities and we need to get our sleep so that we can, you know, we can get up the next day and
do the things that we need to do. This individual said, "I don't care because I don't live here." And, you know, this has been uh the sentiment of three uh problem properties on uh that's that's connected to Victor Road. uh the
building on the corner of the street for 30 years. We've been working with the city to try to um rectify the unsanitary conditions there um the um loud loud noises ma'am and um so we're in
opposition to this uh as well as uh because of the parking as a disabled individual um who catches the ride. Uh, we've had I've experienced issues with the ride making the U-turn on Blue Hill AB because of the double parking at
Happies as well as finding, you know, a place to let the ramp down when I'm on my street. So, um, we're in opposition to this. Thank you. Um, yes, you passed over me. Um, my name is Kimberly Anderson and I
am a resident of Angel Street and I'm also opposed of the nightclub. Um, mainly because of the parking. Uh we have handicap parking in front of our house and um if there's if and if there
is no residential parking or anything for our street that means that we're going to have issues with people parking in our spots. Also is the safety of the street. Um, we're gonna have so many
different people walking up and down Angel Street at night intoxicated and they're going to want to hang out if they're going to be hanging out on Angel Street. And also the trash um people throwing trash, you know, on
the um on the street. Um, thank you. Thank you. So, we've heard trash. We've heard issues. I'm sorry, Flavio. Can you keep us moving? Sure. Let's move on to Yolanda.
Good afternoon. My name is Yolanda Stinson and I am a resident of Angel Street for over 20 years. And I just wanted to make it noted that I am in opposition of this project. Um I am not
in agreeance with the project at all. Actually I am very concerned with our safety and yes of course the parking cuz we already have issues with parking but the safety of this is even more
um unheartening. It's very concerning to me that the late nights that will this let out will happen. Um I'm just I just I oppose it. Thank you ma'am. Thank you.
Move on to Loretta. Hi, my name is Loretta and I'm also a resident um of the road as well. And first I want to say that a lot of things like she said that they own the tire shop. They do not own the tire shop. So they cannot park at the tire shop. And
again like um Cadron was saying about the noise and when you walk up there early in the morning, you see people coming out like 4:00 or 5 in the morning when you're trying to go to work and they're making all these noise. That's the We don't need this again. We just need some peace and quiet. We don't need a
club. We need peace. If they want to have a something that go we're losing maybe the brand office had a place that was available at um the
um the bar that's a nice place available I think we need to move on and maybe come back to Yolanda Huh? Breaking up to have that place and we
look there for the race and all that audio. We have the hair and invest um Blue Hill Avenue is loud. You can hear everything at night. So, we really don't want all this noise around our area and there's no parking as it is. Thank you.
And there's no resident. I mean, we don't have parking. So, we have to have a hard time. We don't want this in our area. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we'll have Mary Greenway. Hi, I'm Mary Greenway and I'm a resident
of Angel Street for over 20 years and I'm concerned like everyone else about the parking and the safety. It's really especially in the summertime we have um the party at the top of the street on
American Legion where the crowd come and they block all the spaces. Sometimes I can't even come home because there's no place for me to park. And I have um I run a childcare program which is really
um a issue um for the buses when they're dropping kids off. Plus I have um my own grandchildren that's in the area. They're young children. And um I'm really concerned. The trash is a
problem. And um you know the nightclub the restaurant I could kind of support but definitely the nightclub I cannot support the nightclub. Thank you. Okay. We'll move on to Rama. Can you hear me? Yes. Yes sir. Please be
brief and let us know if you're in support or opposition. Yes. Uh my name is Raman Veri owner of 17 Mascot Street. It's about a 10- 15 minute walk down uh to uh El Punto. Uh I am in uh support of this project. Uh I think it'd be a unique opportunity especially for this
part of the city where we really don't have something like this. Thank you. We'll notify you. Thank you. We have a a phone number ending in 3689. Want to identify yourself? Hi, my name is
Stacy and I'm on the butter of this crop bill, this project. And I just want to say that I'm opposed to it. Um, again, it's the same issue. Mine is safety, um, also the parking, the noise control,
trash, rodents. Um, we don't need it. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, we have a last hand up with an iPhone. It's no name. Can you identify yourself? How's it going? My name is Roberto Castro. I I'm residents of 56 Toy
Street, Dochester. Um, I stand in a position of support. Um, again, I've I heard everybody's comment as in their concerns, parking, um, safety. Again, if the company as the business owner can like provide as they said safety like
they they speak to Boston PD, they have professional valet as again those I don't feel like that would be a major concern cuz if they're already providing valet, they just have to worry about where they're going to park. But it's also support as because everybody's saying like the noise, the music, it's a
it's a pos it's a and they're talking about the illegal businesses. This is a chance and opportunity because Boston is expanding for new opportunities, new business for where business like this can open up and they can minimize they can minimize they can minimize the illegal business where people just want
to have a function. There's a if there's a legal function where people can interact and enjoy themselves. It would minimize the illegal functions, the late night, all that because they have something to do as in in the summer if there's nothing to do, people's just going to find illegal things to do because they don't there isn't as much
functions in Boston as in one that's this is opening up. So, it's a good opportunity for the city and for those who are looking for functions to interact and in a place where they can legally with a reasonable time hour interact with their friends and family. If there's more functions like this in Boston, I'm pretty sure it'll minimize
the illegal functions and the illegal activities. So, I'm in support. Thank you. Thank you. We have Morgan Si. Okay. Please keep it brief. Last two hands
and we'll move on to Danielle. Hi. Hello. Hi. I live on Angel Street. um opposing the club. Um I have a young daughter and I really think it will be
dangerous to the area and again with the parking um people will be blocking driveways like everyone else is saying. And I also wanted to maybe you can ask them when they say valet where will they
be putting the cars? Are they going to be putting them? They're saying they're not going to put them on Angel Street. Are they going to put them on Blue Hill? Because I don't really understand how you can valet with the little space that they have. Thank you. Thanks. There are other people who continue to have
comments. If you could put them in the chat, we'll take one more. Uh that concludes the uh testimony. No, I a half hour waiting for it. Please. My name is Magros Major for Hispanic radio
station, TV and newspaper and I'm here to support and I understand all consort our neighbor back at the same time that people have almost a year and a half working hard try to dream building in
this area. They follow the rules. They go step by step and recommendation by recommendation from the city of Boston. I think that they deserve the opportunity to show us that they can handle it a good business and I'm here to strongly support. Thank you. Thank
you, ma'am. Okay, with that we'll give the um applicant an opportunity to respond. I know there's a a lot of things that uh you had mentioned earlier that have been mentioned. So, if you just uh whatever um I just want to give you the opportunity to respond.
Yes, I know. Um the like I said the parking I know we understand is a concern. We are trying to avoid Angel Street as much as as possible. Um we are going to utilize the spaces that we have in the back but we are not using street
to valet park. We never said that we owned um the tire shop, but we do have spaces that correspond to the building 879 to 881 that we could park on in front of the building and we could do ballet parking there as well.
Um I never we never talked to any of the churches or the boys and girls club for the parking spaces. So I don't know where that miss that information came from and I thought we cleared that up on the the last meeting. Um like Milo said,
we just want the opportunity to open and if you know and adjust we have complied with the occupancy, we have complied with the time. Um so it's just for you guys to give us the opportunity to run a
space. Um our staff is trained um from the server to as as m as the management team in crowd control in um um tip certifications on how to cut off people that are getting excessively drinking
over their amount of uh limit. we have um put the noise control um on there's no noise that will be able to go to Angel Street like we play the music to the max and inside of the premises and we did the decimal test and it doesn't
get to Angel Street. Um so with that said we we we just want the opportunity to open appreciate it. Um are there other questions from the board? Madam Chair, I still have one question. I think I'm not clear exactly on where
where the proposal for hours of operation. Um there was a discussion here about 2:00 a.m. 1:00 a.m. I think you have greater Madapan neighborhood council that suggested 10 or 11. Uh so trying to understand is that the last piece really appreciate all the feedback
that uh people have offered on this proposal. Miss Pñena, do you want to you Yes. So, Tuesday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, um we would like to be open until 11:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, we would like um to
take the suggestion from the board and close at 1:00, which will be 12:30. Everybody needs to be off the premises by 1. Miss Pñena, may I ask why Monday? I'm just a Latino thing, but we could um kick it back to 11.
Understood. Thank you. Any other Does that answer your question, Mr. Yeah, I Okay, Alan. Okay. I'm sorry. I just had one slight question because it seems like the um Angel Street people that live on Angel Street don't want the nightclub. Is there any way possible
that you could probably open up the restaurant without the nightclub if that's possible? Sure. But for the city of Boston, if I'm not mistaken, anything under 50 is considered a nightclub. and our capacity
went down from 351 to 240. Um and and that's including the function hall. Um so it has reduced um for a large amount, but it's still under the city code over 50 is a nightclub. I I understand that
too, but I'm just saying somehow someway the restaurant sound like a wonderful ideal. got to find a way to accommodate some somehow accommodate the people that lived on Angel Street because I know if I was on Angel Street, I might not be too happy of a nightclub because it
brings at late at night, it brings a different type of people. That's the only thing I that's all I need to say. Thank you. Can I say something? Anony event planner in the comm.
So this is the time for the board members to to deliberate. Are there any comments or questions from the board? Madam Chair, I just want to clear something up with the hours. So has this applicant been to the licensing board yet? I just wouldn't want to put
anything in our decision that they really kind of um govern. Miss Pas, the question is just where are you in process uh in terms of the the license and hours? So, we have done the
whole process through ISD to bring us here. So, you still need to go to the licensing board for the restaurant. I think question has to do with the hours. If we put in a provisal about hours, I think she's wondering if that contradicts
something that you've already had approved. Well, our licenses for the like for the liquor license is until 2 a.m., but we're willing to lower if that's the case. So and miss we well procedurally I mean you know communities and and restaurants
and other businesses have have made provisals that uh you know are shorter than the duration of a license. I understand. Um thank you. Any other questions from the board?
Are we ready for a motion? Madame Chair, we'll put forward a motion of approval. Um, I think for reasons stated in the planning memo that Blue Hill AB is a major commercial corridor and the location in this neighborhood
business subdist um sort of lends itself to being an appropriate location for this use. I'd like to add some proisals to that if I may. Um so I would want to see that the because the occupancy on the plans
is 352 I believe. So a provisal that they reduce occupancy to 240 um that they um uh agree to monthly meetings with the with the neighbors um to deal with any quality of life issues.
and that they sign a security contract and give the neighbors um contact information to call with any kind of emergencies or issues um and that they sign a um contract with the valet service.
anything on and I think and on the hours right I think I think this I think I'm up to five um and hours that they uh close on Friday, Saturday, Sunday at at 1:00 a.m.
and um the other nights close at 11:00 a.m. 11 sorry 11 11 p.m. and and a 1:00 a.m. closing on those weekend nights. Misso, you're muted. So, sure. Um, I think I
take a pretty narrow view of the zoning criteria, but I'm amendable to Miss Panado's um motion to second with those provisos if the applicant agrees to those. Okay. Uh, Mr. Stebridge.
Uh, yes, Mr. Mr. Valencia. Yes. Miss Weo. Yes. Mr. Wangum. I like the ideal about the restaurant, but the nightclub I don't. So, I'm going to vote no. Mr. Aken. Uh,
yes. Miss Bonado. Yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries. Good luck, ma'am. Thank you. Next we have case BOA578094 with the address of 218 Breman
Street. If the applicant and or their representative are present, would they please explain the case to the board? Is our applicant on for 218 Burman Street? Flavio, do you see uh Muhammad Hayek in the I see
him. Mr. Hayek, are you able to unmute yourself or Flavio, do you need to unmute? Yeah. Can you hear me? I'm sorry. Hi. Oh, yes. We can hear you, please. Hi, madame chair and board member. How you doing? My name is Muhammad Hayek. owned the this property
at 218 Breeman Street for the last um over 20 years. Um we were at the board last month. However, there was a mistakenly done on by the architect. He did not um uh incorporate the pre-existing condition of the red deck.
So this is the property highlighted by the uh color orange. And this is a a fourth floor addition proposal to pre-existing three family which would change the um the uh um the uh um
capacity to to four family. Um next slide please if you don't mind. Um next one please. So, um, over here, if you could zoom in a little bit on the left side of the in the middle of the block plan, the
pre-existing rare deck and the Porsches, they were missing the last time we uh submitted the plan last month. And one of the board members had uh asked the pre-existing condition to be listed on the block plan, which we did, and I also
provided some photos of the rear of the decks. So next uh uh next a slide please. Okay, these are the decks uh the Porsches in the back. You can see them three Porsches and the deck which is
existing right now a 20x 25. So, the new proposal will take down all these Porsches and the deck and will reconstruct a an addition in the back of the house and reerect the Porsches
smaller um with a smaller um dimensions that they are right now. Next slide, please, if you don't mind. And the um the uh distance between the uh rear structure and the rear fence with the neighbor will stay at 88 ft
which is pre-existing right now. As you can see also far in the picture down about five street five houses down. You can see one of the houses has already extended their uh living space in the back which I'm doing the same thing just about and I'm keeping the three f the
three the 8 ft from the back face of my back neighbor as it exists right now. Next slide please. I'm just going to go really briefly just to refresh your memory. Whatever you see in the in the yellow is the proposed um addition for each floor,
first, second, third and the uh the uh far right diagram is the for the fourth floor addition of a two bedroom plus one and a half bath. And your approval for this project will be greatly appreciated
because it really needs to be u replaced the borses and needs a new facelift to uh be coherent with the facelift of the old neighborhood that being modern more modern look lately and the neighborhood has been done like almost 90% the houses
and I also provided some the uh next slide please to show you some of the um the project that was done. This is a overview project of the of the project from the back and the rear and the
front. Next slide please. I want to show you some examples that already existed on the uh on the same street BMAN street. All these project with the addresses right there on Bman Street before me and after down the street from me. And we also did the same setback on
the fourth floor edition by 8 ft like did like a small balcony to be coherent with all the neighbors who did the fourth floor editions. So it be all blended within the new neighborhood look. Thank you so much. If you have any questions please I'll be more glad then
to help you please. Thank you. Are there questions from the board? Hearing none. May I have public testimony? Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the board. My name is Eva Jones representing the mayor's office in neighborhood services regarding 218 Brendman and our office will defer to
the board's judgment on this matter. A community process was conducted, including at a budget meeting held on 41624, which was attended by two constituents. The primary feedback from this meeting was opposition to the proposal, citing the character of the neighborhood and construction noise, while the other attendees did not
express opposition or support. I've also received a petition against the proposal citing loss of green space and the precedent being set in the neighborhood density and as well as lack of parking. This was signed by 10 by tennibutters. Additionally, the proposal was reviewed with the Maverick Central Neighborhood
Association which convened on 61924. The association has ultimately voted in opposition to the proposal. At this time, the mayor's office of neighborhood services defers to the board's judgment on this matter. Thank you everyone for your time and consideration. you. Good afternoon, madam chair,
members of the board. Last year, councelor Kleta Sapata met with the aboding neighbors in person and they were displeased with the death of the project as they felt it will be too close to the property line and to their own properties and claimed it will be detrimental to the character and wellbeing of the neighborhood. The
aadists requested a meeting with the proponent to make their voices heard and as of yesterday they claimed this did not happen. Additionally, councelor Kleta Sapata met with the proponents and highlighted the importance of speaking with the neighbors and making changes based on their conversations. To provide
additional context, the proponent presented the council with five letters of support and the Maverick Central Association voting a position. Lastly, the council would like to make sure that this project aderes to 20 Boston and request that the board does the same. Thank you.
Thank you. Can I add one more thing if I may? Um, Mr. Simmonelli has his hand up. Yeah, I was going to say let's finish public comments first. Mr. Simali, go ahead. Yes, madam chair members of the board. Good afternoon. Christian Simmonali, Boston trust. And we have
both G-Card letters from the applicant. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Uh, Mr. Hay, were you did you want to add something? Yeah, I one of the concern they were talking about green space. I'm already I'm reconstructing what already debris existed. I'm taking all the structural
down and putting a new structure in its place. So there is no um no loss of a green space at all. As a matter of fact, I'm going to be planting some trees in the back of the house after the new structure is being erected if you guys approved it hopefully. And as far as the
butter, my right, left, and back butter, I talked to them. They said they would go with wherever whatever the board sees fits in the neighborhood. So I'm only doing what already already been done in the neighborhood. It's not that I'm introducing a new idea to the neighborhood. The whole neighborhood has
been changed to the bar. Almost 90% the structures in the neighborhood has been done a fourth floor or has been redeveloped um completely by taking down the old structure and a new structure like I showed in the those some of the addresses that I provided. Thank you. So
just keep that in mind would be great. Thank you so much. Can we have Mr. Hampton? I I know that we try to adhere to plan East Boston, but I'd love to hear from the planning department. Mr. Hampton. Uh yes. Thank you, Madam
Chairman. This is the board. Jeff Hampton, uh city of Boston planning department. As you saw on our recommendation, we recommended denial without prejudice. And that was uh originally because as you saw, we're not a fan with the flood flood elevations.
We don't want to see any of the uh living space in the basement. Uh we've been consistent about opposing that uh ever since this has become an issue with uh some of the appeals. Uh the other is the addition
um you know this was done under the old zoning under the old 3F2000. So this is what we're basing our decision on and we feel that the extension into the rear yard should try to adhere to the rear yard setback as much as we can. Um and
we think that the addition is just too big right now. So for those reasons were on the record for denial without regulation. Thank you. Other questions from the board? Just a comment I think that Mr. Hampton helped me understand particularly about
the rear yard uh which wasn't clear in any of this and I don't believe that a facelift to a building necessarily requires then uh going against a number of other uh planning and zoning advisory uh items. Okay. So with that is there I'm is there
a motion? Madame Chair, I will put forward a motion of denial without prejudice for, you know, all of the reasons Mr. Hampton stated. You know, they're they were missing uh the finished first floor elevation. So to kind of get a sense of
whether it's in um below sea level or um so yeah, to know about prejudice for those reasons and it should come closer into compliance with the new zoning standards. Is there a second? Second, Mr.
Stanbridge. Mr. Okay, thank you. Uh, Mr. Valencia, yes. Miss Leo, yes. Mr. Lang, yes. Mr. Beacon, yes. Miss Panado,
yes. Chair votes yes. The motion carries. Thank you everyone. Thank you.