JAMAICA HILLS—A minor expansion to the Armenian Nursing & Rehabilitation Center was approved by the zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) and community groups in recent weeks.
The nursing home at 431 Pond St. plans to to tack a 15-foot-long, two-story addition onto its existing building. At a Dec. 15 meeting of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council’s Zoning Committee, officials from the home said the project would provide more room for physical therapy, the dining room, a board room and office space.
The addition would not boost the number of beds, employees or parking spaces, officials said.
While Armenian Nursing has been on the site in some form since 1948, a nursing home is a forbidden use in the area under the zoning code, so the addition needed a zoning variance, which the ZBA granted on Jan. 10. The area is also within a “neighborhood design overlay district.” That means the area has historic architecture, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority will review the addition to make sure its design fits the neighborhood.
The Jamaica Hills Association (JHA) voted not to oppose the addition on Dec. 14, and the Zoning Committee approved it.
“We really don’t have any concerns,” JHA zoning committee chair Polly Selkoe told the Gazette. “It’s an asset to our community to have them there, and we’re glad they’re doing so well.”