The Zoning Committee of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) met virtually on August 24, where it approved a doggy daycare at 561-579 Centre St., as well as new additions and an in-law suite at 55 Boylston St.
561–579 Centre St.
Tammy Boyer-Lewis, owner of Pondside Pet Care, came before the committee last month with her proposal to change the existing gas station at 561-579 Centre St. into a doggy daycare facility. She returned this month and briefly explained her proposal. Pondside Pet Care is currently located at 610 Centre St., and hopes to move into this location to have more room for the dogs.
The existing canopy over the pumps will remain and be used to house equipment needed to clean the outdoor dog run. No parking will be provided, but there will be a horseshoe driveway created for dog owners to very briefly stop and drop off their pets.
The dog run will feature a special antimicrobial turf that will be “sloped and drained into the sewer,” Boyer-Lewis said.
She also briefly described the inside of the building, which will feature modular walls and a pet grooming station.
Proposed hours are from 6:30am-7pm Monday through Friday, and grooming on Saturday from 8am-5pm.
Boyer-Lewis said that there will be “about 10 dogs at a time let into the yard or less,” and dog play groups will not begin in the yard until “9:30 or 10:00 the earliest,” she said.
For the horseshoe driveway, she said that “we don’t anticipate more than two cars at a time,” as “most clients currently walk.”
Additionally, the proposal ensures that residents on Lakeville Road will not lose parking at the end of the street.
This proposal has previously been heard by the Jamaica Pond Association (JPA), which voted not to oppose with several provisos related to hours of operation, no overnight boarding, and other related items.
The Committee voted to approve the proposal with those same provisos.
55 Boylston St.
Homeowners Chade Severin and Adam Granger came before the committee to present a proposal to add second and third floor additions to the existing single family home at 55 Boylston St., as well as make the garage larger and and an in-law suite above with basement play space underneath.Work also includes creating a mudroom and renovations on the first and second floors.
Architect Christian Hosford explained that right now, the building is a “single family house with a detached two-car garage on the corner lot. We are proposing to add a story over the two story part.”
The home will remain a single family home, and the proposed in-law suite will be connected to the rest of the house, so it is “no longer a house with an accessory building.”
Severin and Granger said that the suite will be used for in-laws and will not be a rental unit.
Zoning relief will be needed for excessive Floor Area Ratio, as well as insufficient front, side, and rear yards.
“I think it’s a very nice plan,” said committee member Lee Goodman.
Zachary Armand, who lives across the street, expressed his support as well. “I have no objections,” he said, adding that he believes the design fits in with the surrounding buildings.
Another neighbor, Chris Arnold, also said that he supports the proposal and appreciates the in-law unit.
The committee voted to approve this proposal.