By JOHN RUCH May 2, 2008

STONYBROOK—Local developer Peter Bourassa is still seeking to put nine condo units on the site of a century-old stable on Meehan Street. But now his plans include saving the stable itself, according to City Councilor John Tobin, who was privately briefed about the plans.

That may take care of concerns about the stable’s historic status, but some residents are still worried about the overall size of the development. Bourassa was scheduled to meet with abutters about the plans last week.

Bourassa is seeking to redevelop the 14 Meehan St. site along with two adjacent, unnumbered lots on Keyes Street Place—a remnant of an old street that no longer officially exists.

The former stable—built by the original owner of Doyle’s Café and now used as a house—was marked for demolition in the original plan.

Last month, the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) placed a 90-day delay on the demolition and urged Bourassa to consider incorporating the stable into his plans, which he has now done. Several residents at the BLC hearing expressed concern about the size of the development.

The city’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) sold one of the Keyes Street Place lots to a previous owner of 14 Meehan and still holds a deed restriction on it.

The deed restriction originally required that the lot remain open space, with the possible exception of an addition to 14 Meehan. But in March, DND amended the deed restriction to allow Bourassa’s original redevelopment plan. DND spokesperson Lucy Warsh later called that an “oversight” and a “mistake,” adding that DND was looking into reversing the deed restriction amendment.

“Our goal is to settle this matter in the neighborhood, rather than in court; we’re hoping that this involves the developer voluntarily rescinding the amendment,” Warsh said in an e-mail to the Gazette last month.