By Michael Coughlin Jr.
During the Orient Heights Neighborhood Council’s (OHNC) monthly meeting attendees learned of a proposal at 1214-1222 Bennington Street that would bring several rental units to the area.
According to Attorney Richard Lynds, who presented the project to the OHNC, the proposal, subject to Article 80 review, involves renovating and reusing the existing commercial buildings at the site to build 28 units.
“This is an existing one- and two-story commercial building, and our proposal would involve maintaining the existing structures that are there, so we’re not looking to demolish anything. We would be building within the footprint of what presently exists and just going up vertically a total of four stories,” said Lynds.
Additionally, this iteration of the plan includes 10 parking spaces in an enclosed garage. It should also be noted that an existing parking lot next to the building is slated to remain.
Furthermore, the proposal would contain five affordable units offered at a maximum of 60% area median income (AMI). Regarding the unit mix, there are plans for 11 one-bedroom, 16 two-bedroom, and one three-bedroom units.
Also, regarding the project, Lynds said it was by right, adding, “There are no zoning variances being requested with respect to this project. So this is a completely zoning-compliant project.”
After reviewing zoning information, Lynds outlined some other features of the proposal, including balconies and a common roof deck. However, he noted that the layout of aspects such as the deck and where the mechanicals are located may change because of an MBTA right-of-way in the area.
Later, Lynds gave the floor to Eric Zachrison, the project architect, who highlighted plans, elevations, materials, and more.
For example, he spoke about the building material, which will gray over time. “The idea of that material is it has kind of richness that allows it to not mimic but kind of enhance the existing brick we’ve already got and try and work with that,” said Zachrison.
Eventually, those in attendance were given the opportunity to ask questions and comment.
One attendee commented and was not a big fan of the building design, comparing it to a warehouse or storage building. This same attendee also voiced their support for commercial or retail use at the site.
Lynds noted that plans up the street at 1188 Bennington Street are slated to have two retail spaces. “It would seem a little redundant to try to add that into this location as well.”
However, he added that the site is set up for transit-oriented development, and there is a possibility of swapping out the garage parking for retail, considering the aforementioned parking lot next to the building.
One resident asked about the process for this project to proceed. Lynds indicated that approvals could be received in the spring. Construction could begin this fall at the earliest and take 14-16 months to complete.
Another resident asked about plans for trees in the area. While Lynds noted that there are not many trees in the area currently, he indicated that they have already discussed adding street trees with the city.
He also mentioned that the sidewalk will be completely overhauled in conjunction with the city’s complete street requirements, and there is potential for exterior bike parking and benches.
As the discussion continued, more attendees made comments and asked questions. Since this project does not require any zoning variances, Lynds did not think a vote from the OHNC was necessary but said he was happy to return for a second presentation.
He also noted that there would be a public meeting regarding the project hosted by the Planning Department. Then, the project would eventually go before the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Board for a vote.
For more information about the OHNC, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OrientHeightsNC/.