By Michael Coughlin Jr.
On Monday, attendees at the latest Gove Street Neighborhood Association (GSNA) meeting heard plans for a project at 261 Maverick Street, which would reuse the current building and bring several units to the area.
According to Richard Lynds, the attorney who presented the project to the GSNA, the proposal, subject to Article 80 review, would include a vertical and horizontal addition to the existing building, creating a four-story building with 24 units.
The proposal also includes plans to maintain retail space at ground level and to have five parking spaces.
Regarding zoning and how this project complies with local regulations, Lynds said that the project is intended not to require zoning relief.
It should also be noted that while this project is being billed as a four-story building, it is projected to be five levels.
The building’s height is about 54 feet, which exceeds the 50-foot maximum in the East Boston Residential (EBR)-4 zoning subdistrict.
However, Lynds said, “Because this property is located in what we call a Coastal Flood Resilience Overlay District (CFROD), the calculations for building height are actually different and distinct than the typical measurements that you may see elsewhere in the city.”
“So, in this case, even though if this building were not located in what we call a CFROD district, we would be measuring the height of the building from the sidewalk. Instead, we have to measure the building from what we call design flood elevation, and that’s an area basically above the area that we can actually use for habitable space or for functional space in the building.”
Essentially, measuring from the design flood elevation drops the height of the building — for zoning purposes — to 50 feet, which is compliant.
The CFROD also impacts the number of stories from a zoning standpoint. Lynds indicated that since the first level is not 65% above the design flood elevation, it is not technically considered the first story. Therefore, the building is referred to as a CFROD-compliant four-story building, which complies with the maximum number of stories in the EBR-4 subdistrict.
As the presentation continued, Lynds provided an overview of floor plans. Later, the project architect, Eric Zachrison, spoke about how this project’s design aligns with another project in the area at 265 Maverick Street, which Lynds presented to the GSNA a few months ago.
“This is a pretty rare opportunity where we get to represent two clients next to each other, and so we have talked to both of them about how the buildings need to — want to — in some way relate to each other,” said Zachrison. For example, he mentioned trying to use similar materials for each of the projects.
Other aspects of this project include the units being rentals, and Lynds foresaw being required to include four inclusionary development policy (IDP) units. Plans also include adding street trees in the area and a roof deck.
As noted, this project is subject to Article 80 review, and there will be a public meeting regarding the project after the team files a project notification form.
The next GSNA meeting is scheduled for February 24th. For more information about the association, visit its website at https://www.govestreet.org/.