FOREST HILLS—At-Large City Councilor Ayanna Pressley has blasted Bicon Dental Implants for “insulting” actions and a “level of deceit” for its proposed demolition of a historic house at 21 Yale Terrace. The Mayor’s Office is setting up a neighborhood meeting.
Pressley made the comments in an April 6 letter calling on the City’s Inspectional Services Department to withhold permits until more review happens. Bicon reportedly acquired the house against the former owner’s wishes by using a straw buyer.
“The actions of Bicon Dental Implants have been insulting to both the residents of the neighborhood and the entire city,” Pressley wrote. “A fair and transparent community process is essential; to witness the level of deceit by Bicon Dental Implants is distressing and inexcusable.”
Meanwhile, the Yale Terrace Neighborhood Association has delivered a petition with more than 1,000 signatures to the City, urging Mayor Martin Walsh to stop the planned demolition of the house. The Mayor’s Office has previously declined comment, but spokesperson Melina Schuler told the Gazette that City officials now are setting up a meeting with the community to hear concerns.
Bicon Dental Implants, a 501 Arborway business, has a proposal to demolish the 19th century house at 21 Yale Terrace and replace it with a parking garage and townhouses. The property abuts Bicon’s business.
Berta Berriz, the former owner of 21 Yale Terrace, says that she was “deceived” by a buyer who claimed to be a family-minded local grandmother into selling the historic house to the neighboring Bicon Dental Implants. Berriz did not want to sell the house to Bicon.
Pressley stated in her letter that she “urges” ISD Commissioner William Christopher to “continue the demolition delay” for 21 Yale Terrace and refuse all working permits for the property until a “legitimate community process has been completed.” She wrote that the time is at a critical juncture, as the BLC’s demolition delay is about to expire.
The project is currently in a 90-day demolition delay, which was invoked after going through an Article 85 review by the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC). Article 85 of the zoning code allows the BLC to impose a delay of 90 days in issuing a demolition permit for a building more than 50 years of age while it reviews possible historic preservation. The developer is free to obtain demolition permits after the 90 days expire, which will be April 14 for the project.
Bicon did not respond to a request for comment. ISD also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bicon has a history of controversial expansions and operations that have drawn neighborhood complaints, City citations and City Council hearings, dating back to a 2006 attempt to create a restaurant on the second floor of its office building.