The Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) approved on Tuesday afternoon a proposal to convert the existing beauty salon at 387-399 Centre St. to a body piercing studio called Rockstar Body Piercing.
This project came before the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council Zoning Committee twice, and both times there were legal issues presented by the beauty salon owner and the landlord of the building. Some expressed that they did not want to see the beauty salon leave and did not support the body piercing studio taking its place.
Attorney Mike Ross explained that this project was before the ZBA because that use is conditional in that location. He also said that the applicant appeared before the ZBA in June, where a deferral was granted to include more community process.
The applicant currently operates a body piercing studio in Providence, RI, and this location will have three piercing rooms and will also sell body jewelry. The applicant has agreed to remove the grates from the building.
Lindsey Santana from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services said that an abutters meeting was held December 12, 2019 and that the Mayor’s Office is in Support. City Councilor Matt O’Malley is also in support of this project.
The ZBA voted to approve this project with BPDA design review.
The ZBA was also supposed to hear the proposal for 3305-3307 Washington St. to combine two existing lots into one and erect a four story, mixed use building. The project came before the ZBA in March with a proposal for 15 units, but the ZBA said that was too dense, so another proposal with 10 units plus a commercial space was proposed, but the applicant said that last Thursday, the Mayor’s office asked for there to be more community process, so the project was deferred to the December 8 hearing at 1 p.m.