Special to the Gazette
The Zoning Committee of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) held a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 17, via Zoom. Chair David Baron and fellow committee members Willie Mitchell, Purple Reign, Peg Preble, Gerard O’Connor, Kevin Moloney, Renee Stacey Welch, Bernie Doherty, and David Seldin were in attendance.
Baron opened the meeting by noting the recent passing of Jake Hart, a former long-time member of the JPNC and the Zoning Committee, who was well-known in the JP community for his art work.
Baron also noted that present long-time Zoning Committee member Kevin Moloney will be stepping down because he is moving from JP.
“It is with a bittersweet feeling that I will be resigning,” said Moloney, who said that his wife and he will be moving to Providence, R.I., where his daughter resides. Moloney was a member of the JPNC and served as its chair in the 1990s and had been a member of the Zoning Committee since that time.
The committee took up three matters.
The first was a request from the owner of 76 Day Street, a three-unit rental building, to add an already-finished attic to the living space of the third-floor apartment. No new construction is required. The work was completed pursuant to a building permit in 2013, but the owner said the city is requiring her to obtain a variance for the occupancy of that space.
However, after the occupants of the third-floor unit said they have never had access to the attic, the committee members questioned whether the owner was seeking simply to enlarge the third floor unit or to create a potential fourth unit in the building.
After Baron advised the applicant to seek assistance from an attorney or architect, the committee took no vote on the matter.
Next up was a request from Erik Katsavounidis, the owner of a two-family duplex at 27-29 Ballard Street, for the demolition and construction of a dormer; replacement of siding and roof; and interior renovation including framing, plumbing, electrical, kitchen, and bath work.
The property will remain a two-family, but has run afoul of the city’s zoning ordinances for excessive floor area ratio (FAR) because the work will entail adding living space in the basement and in the attic by means of a shed dormer on the 27 Ballard St. side.
A variance also is needed for a pre-existing lack of side-yard setback.
A number of residents attended the hearing. Susan Trotz, who lives at 25 Ballard St., said she supports the application, noting that Mr. Katsavounidis has improved the property significantly and has been extremely cooperative with the neighbors.
Owen Shows, who has lived at 30 Goldsmith St. for 40 years, asked a question about a large cherry tree with the hope that it can be preserved. Julie LaFleur, who lives behind the home, also inquired about the status of the tree.
Mr. Katsavounidis said he will be seeking the opinion of an arborist as to the health of the tree. He said that he intends to plant new greenery and noted that he will be replacing a chain link fence that presently is an eyesore.
The committee voted unanimously to approve the application.
The third matter was an application from the owners of 11 Ashley Street for a bedroom addition/extension over an existing 2-story rear portion of the home; a new mudroom; a stair reconfiguration; and new exterior balconies.
Architect Michael Chavez represented the owner before the committee and explained the scope of the work to be done. Variances are needed for excessive FAR as well as for insufficient lot area and minimum front yard setback, the latter two being pre-existing conditions.
There were no opponents and the committee voted to approve the application unanimously.
The owners of the properties whose applications received favorable votes now must go before the full JPNC and then to the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals in order to receive their variances.
The next meeting of the Zoning Committee is set for July 1. On the agenda will be
67 Mossdale Rd. (alterations and additions to existing building, change of use from single-family residential to single-family with attached Accessory Dwelling Unit [ADU]) and 388 Arborway (change use from two residential units to three residential units; expand lower-level unit into walk-out basement; building envelope to remain unchanged).