Last week, the City of Boston hosted an abutters meeting for a project at 531 Bennington Street, which was previously home to a three-unit building, which the Attorney for the project, Richard Lynds, described as the leaning tower of Pisa during a presentation at a Harbor View Neighborhood Association meeting last fall.
The previous building at the site, which is now either entirely or nearly completely demolished, had structural issues and safety concerns.
“It was in structurally unsound condition, and we presented that back at the Harbor View Neighborhood Association that the building was an imminent threat of being a safety issue,” said Lynds, who later identified a plan to rebuild at the site.
As stated in the refusal letter from the city, the proposal involves erecting an addition and changing the occupancy from three to five units.
“The reason they call it an addition is because this building previously existed on the site, and we applied for the permitting back in June of 2024 in connection with the demolition of the building,” said Lynds.
“When you do that, you are entitled to rebuild a structure to the exact same footprint provided that, if there are any non-conformities that were existing as a result, those non-conformities are not necessarily applicable to the rebuild of the structure.”
While Lynds noted that the previous building at the site was three stories, he indicated that under the new zoning in the East Boston Residential (EBR)-4 subdistrict — where this property is situated — four-story buildings are allowed.
“So we can build the building like it was before, in the same spot, and we can actually add on an addition and change the occupancy all under new zoning,” said Lynds.
Essentially, the project, when completed, would be a four-story building with five units. Regarding unit mix, there are plans for one two-bedroom, two three-bedroom, and two four-bedroom units.
Regarding zoning relief necessary for the project, Lynds indicated that a variance would be needed for off-street parking. While the refusal letter cited a violation of building lot coverage, Lynds disagreed with the assessment and indicated they would seek to remove the citation.
It should be noted that while the proposed building has aspects, such as its side yard setbacks, that do not align with current zoning since it is being rebuilt in the same spot, Lynds indicated that they are entitled to build to the specifications of the previous building.
After Lynds reviewed floor plans, elevations, renderings, and more, attendees at the abutters meeting could ask questions and provide comments.
One attendee had commented on the parking. Specifically, they explained that they had gotten confirmation from the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) that under new zoning, projects with more than three units must have a 1:1 parking ratio, meaning this project would require five parking spaces.
This point differs from Lynds’ view in that while acknowledging the parking violation during his presentation, he argued that the project would only require two parking spaces.
Lynds also responded to the resident’s comment: “If we were ground-up construction from scratch with no pre-existing building and we weren’t adding units, we were just going for a five-unit building, then your other argument would be the more relevant one.”
“This one is the exception to the code that says you’re only required to add spaces when you’re adding units. In that case, this would be two.”
Later, Lynds and the attendee had a short discussion on parking, during which the resident voiced frustration with the parking situation in the neighborhood.
Another attendee asked if the units would be condominiums or rentals, and Lynds said he thought they would be rentals.
Several other topics were discussed as the meeting progressed, such as rodents, unit sizes, and more.
Regarding process, Eva Jones, a Community Engagement Specialist with the city, indicated that after the abutters meeting, the applicant will contact the local civic association and present the project there.
After meeting with the local neighborhood group, a Zoning Board of Appeal hearing will be scheduled for the project.
To provide comments on the project or get a recording of this abutters meeting, contact Jones via email at [email protected] or by phone at 617-635-2679.