The City of Boston Planning Dept. held a public meeting pursuant to Article 80 via Zoom regarding the proposal for a 44-unit apartment building at 408 South Huntington Ave. last Monday evening.
The meeting was conducted by Tyler Ross, who is a Senior Project Manager with the Planning Dept.
An empty, one-story concrete block building currently sits on the site, which is at the corner of S. Huntington Ave. and Barbara St. with a total lot size of 14,667 sq. ft. The neighborhood consists almost exclusively of residential two- and three-family homes.
East Boston attorney Richard Lynds spoke on behalf of the developer, JPlain Development, LLC. Frank Schillace is the principal of the LLC, also was on hand but did not speak.
Monte French and Cameron Christopher of the Monte French Design Studio were present and made a presentation. Michael Fishbein, a Senior Advisor to District 6 City Councillor Ben Weber, also was on hand.
Lynds said the preliminary working concept consists of a five-story structure, plus a roof deck, with 44 rental units, with a mix of studio, one-bedroom, 2-BR, and 3-BR units. Three of the units on the ground level will open onto Barbara St. The developer is working with the city to create potential artist dwelling units.
The project will include new street trees, green space for pets, private balconies, a roof deck, 1:1 bike storage, and 10 parking spaces underneath the structure in the rear.
Eight of the units will fall within the Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) requirements for households earning an average of 60% AMI (area median income), which will slightly exceed the city's requirement of a 17% IZ threshold.
Zoning relief is needed for excessive floor area ratio (the permissible FAR is 1.0 vs. the 3.1 being proposed) and height (56.5 feet vs. the allowable 35 feet). Lynds noted that the needed variances are in line with what the city deems acceptable for this area.
A number of residents spoke at the meeting.
Michael Cohen, a JP resident since 2011, said he is "super-pleased to see the property being developed." However, Cohen suggested eliminating the 10 parking spaces in order to create more housing units and suggested that four-bedroom units also be added to the mix to encourage families to live there. He also suggested adding a sixth story that could be set back, in order to create even more housing units.
Abbott Gilbane, who works in JP but who lives in Cambridge, said he would welcome an apartment which would allow him to walk to work and also endorsed adding more units to the project.
John Donnelly, who lives at 11 Barbara St., said he was opposed to the size of the building and specifically cited the lack of parking, suggesting that tenants will park on the neighborhood's streets. Donnelly also noted that there is no dedicated space for delivery vehicles.
"This is way too big for this location," Donnelly said.
JP resident Chris Vaughan spoke in favor of the proposal. "This is an excellent project. We have a severe housing shortage in our city, and so this is a much, much better use of the space, and the more units the better," said Vaughan.
Alex Tran, the Chief Operating Officer of Victory Programs, which is located next door at 404 S. Huntington Ave., said he is "excited to see this dormant property be turned into a more productive use that will add much-needed housing." However, Tran noted there will be an increase in traffic from delivery and resident vehicles.
Resident Dan Bisers said he supports the project, and suggested that the building should be six stories. He also said that with the proximity of the Green Line, Orange Line, and the # 39 bus, the parking is sufficient, noting that only 25 % of JP residents commute to work by car.
Samantha Nee, who lives at 410 S. Huntington, had questions about the potential effects of the demolition and construction on her property. She also voiced concerns about parking and suggested that more family-size units would be appropriate.
Neighborhood resident Karen Brouhard spoke in favor of the project and also urged more family-size units. However, she suggested that with 44 units and only 10 parking spaces, the already-difficult parking issues in the neighborhood will be exacerbated.
Jae Wade, a resident of S. Huntington Ave., applauded the use of the site for residential purposes and expressed his full support.
Rebecca Marks, who lives diagonally across S. Huntington Ave. from the site, noted the recent loss of parking spaces because of bike lanes and expressed concerns about the project's lack of parking. Marks also suggested that the height of the building is out of character with the rest of the neighborhood. Marks supported the potential for artist-designated units.
JP resident Anne "Toddie" Gelbspan, citing the need for housing, spoke in favor of the project.
Another resident, Phoebe Cooper, spoke in favor of the project.
Resident Jeff McGuire generally supported the project, but cited the lack of parking and the height of the structure, which he said does not fit in with the neighborhood.
David Bowden urged larger units to attract families and also cited the lack of parking in the neighborhood.
Barbara St. resident Dianne Bronk cited the mismatched size of the building compared to other structures in the neighborhood. She specifically noted that the materials to be used and the design of the building do not even remotely fit in with the character of the late-19th century/early-20th century homes that surround it.
"This building will tower above all of the other buildings in the area and dwarf them," Bronk said. She also pointed out that the stated height of the building does not include the visible roof decks and the access structures on top of the roof.
Toward the end of the meeting, Lynds said the project could get underway in the spring of 2027 with an 18-month construction period.
The public comment period to the Planning Dept. ends on August 17.