OHNC Members Vote on Whitby Street Project

Orient Heights Neighborhood Council (OHNC) members voted 34 to 6 against the residential development project on Whitby Street at the group’s December meeting Monday night at the Ashley Street YMCA. 

The project at 16 Whitby St. seeks to erect a three-story residential dwelling with eight residential units and 13 parking spaces. 

Attorney Jeff Drago said his client had made several changes to the project since the last OHNC meeting in November.

Drago said the unit count has been reduced from 10 to 9 to 8 condo units. Drago said his client has also increased the number of off street parking spaces from 12 to 13 and eliminated the fourth floor that was part of the original design. 

“After several OHNC meetings and meetings with abutters we made several changes in response to the concerns we heard,” said Drago. “We feel this is a design that can not only work for the developer but for the residents living on Whitby Street.”

However, Whitby Street residents were still concerned that quiet dead end street would be severely impacted by the development project. Most concerns were regarding the increase in traffic on the small street. 

Several residents voiced their opposition to the project and said building an eight unit condo building would have impacts on parking along the street. 

Drago pointed out that there are already two pre-exsiting three-family homes on the street and that his client could build four units ‘as of right’ with three bedrooms each. 

“We listened to these concerns and that is why we decreased the number of units and increased the parking,” said Drago. 

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