ZBA hearing on 64 Allandale St. project deferred

The developer of the 64 Allandale St. project asked, and was granted, a deferral during a Sept. 27 Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing on variances the project needs.

The project is now expected to go before the ZBA in December.

The site at 64 Allandale St. is on the border of West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. It is part of the West Roxbury Neighborhood District, as a matter of zoning.

Jacqueline Nunez, a Dorchester-based developer, plans a $20 million 20-unit project at 64 Allandale St. The project would abut Allandale Woods, which is an “urban wild” of about 100 acres of City- and private-owned land in Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury. The woods is roughly formed by Allandale and Centre streets, the VFW Parkway and Hackensack Road.

Asked for a comment, a spokesperson for Nunez said, “We don’t have a comment on anything except that we are seeking a ruling from MassDEP to put an official ruling on the fact there are no wetlands on the site.”

MassDEP is the state Department of Environmental Protection, which earlier this year confirmed a Boston Conservation Commission (BCC) ruling that a portion of the 64 Allandale St. project falls under the state Wetlands Protection Act.

The Boston Conservation Commission ruled last fall that the project does indeed fall under the act. There are no wetlands on the 64 Allandale St. property, but a portion of the property falls within a 100 foot buffer zone under the Wetlands Protection Act. That does not prevent Nunez from building the project, but she needs to jump more environmental review hurdles for it to happen.

The Friends of Allandale Woods, a group fighting the project as currently proposed, sent out an email blast after the deferral that said in part, “While residents are prepared to move forward to the zoning board for final decision, we hope the developer will now use this extra time and work with neighbors to identify a plan all can support.”

The project was approved by the Boston Redevelopment Authority in May.

The project had many critics at previous community meetings who voiced concerns over density, impact on traffic, and the affect it would have on Allandale Woods. Some people spoke in favor of the project, citing it being energy efficient and bringing much needed housing to the city.

 

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