Trouble is brewing on just how the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will soon deal with conflicting votes between two competing neighborhood associations covering some of the same areas of Jeffries Point.
The Gove Street Citizens Association (GSCA), a sort of splinter group from the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association (JPNA), voted Monday night at their monthly meeting 15 to 9 against constructing a three unit market rate condo development at 80 Everett St.
However, two months ago the JPNA voted in favor of the project 9 to 6.
Ocean City Development plans to construct a three unit condo development on a vacant lot at 80 Everett St. Ocean City Development bought the property back in July 2015. With the project being in a 3F neighborhood, which means a three family is an allowable use under Boston zoning codes, the developer still needed three variances including one for parking.
A group of abutters formed and began a campaign to stop the project in its tracks citing parking as the main issue. However, abutters present at both the JPNA and GSCA, said they were unwilling to support any project at the site no matter what type of development it was, whether or not it had less units or if it included parking.
Attorney for the project, Richard Lynds asked at both JPNA and GSCA what type of project the abutters would most likely support on the buildable Everett Street lot received answers ranging from ‘nothing’ to a ‘dog house’.
Eastie’s three elected officials, who are sometimes charged with sifting through what some may consider ‘unreasonable opposition’ to a development project, are all opposing the project.
Madaro confirmed this at Monday night’s GSCA meeting even before the developer gave his final presentation to the group ahead of the vote–confusing some in the audience who support the project.
Madaro, who had just told the group that Eastie’s is fast becoming the most desirable neighborhood in Boston due to its development, parks and schools and
Attorney Richard Lynds pitches his clients plan for a three unit condo development at 80 Everett St. The project was approved by JPNA by a vote of 9 to 6 but then opposed at Monday night’s Gove Street Citizens Association meeting.
that further development is something that residents will have to get use to said a letter of opposition from himself, City Councilor Sal LaMattina and Sen. Anthony Petruccelli had already been drafted.
The problem now is how will the ZBA digest one group’s support, another’s opposition mixed with the elected officials’ letter while honoring the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s push to remove vacant lots and blight from city streets.
The group in opposition say they have 60 signatures of people in opposition but may end up with a building on the street no matter what opposition campaign they mount.
According to Lynds a 35 ft., two family with parking can be constructed as of right. With the project’s lack of parking as a main concern the curb cut to accommodate a driveway for an as of right two family would eliminate at least two parking space from the street while creating two private parking spaces for the new condo owners thus compounding the parking problem on Everett Street.