Special to the Journal
The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, March 25, in the City Councillor Joseph A. DelGrosso City Council Chamber. On hand for the session were chair Michael Tucker and fellow members Aklog Limeneh, Arthur Pelton, John Lopes, and Peggy Pratt. The first matter taken up was an application from Zepaj Development, LLC, 78 Mill Street, Middleton, requesting variances from the ZBA to enable the construction of two townhouse dwellings at 661 Washington Avenue. The hearing had been continued from the meeting of February 25.
Attorney James Cipoletta represented Zepaj. Cipoletta told the board that a two-family home that was severely damaged by a fire and was a total loss presently occupies the site. He said that three variances were needed because the 9410 sq. ft. lot falls short of the required lot area of 10,000 sq. ft. for a two-family home; the rear yard setback will be shy of of the required zoning requirement; and a proposed driveway falls within the required minimum of 20 feet (it is 17.5 feet) of the curvature of the street. As to the latter issue, Cipoletta told the members, “We will hire a safety engineer to make sure that cars exiting and entering can do so safely, which ultimately will be reviewed by the Site Plan Review Committee.”
The former owner of the property sent a letter in which she stated that the project will be good for the neighborhood, but noted that the proposed new driveway should be given more thought from a safety standpoint for the new users of the property. Revere resident Baris Berk spoke in favor of the proposal. “The present building is an eyesore,” said Burke, who is the proprietor of the United Brokers REO of Revere. “The new project will beautify the area and add value to the neighborhood.” Speaking in opposition was Ward 1 City Councillor Jim Mercurio. “This corner is near one of the busiest intersections of Revere without a streetlight,” said Mercurio. “I don’t think this is a very good project for the area. One townhouse would be fine.” Councillor at Large Michelle Kelley said she was not totally opposed to the project, “But the concern I have is in fact the driveway. I’m afraid that the plan as proposed would create a traffic nuisance more so than is there right now. This would create a very unsafe condition and is something that should be redesigned,” said Kelley, who noted that City Engineer Nick Rystrom has raised similar concerns about the driveway.
“I’m asking that the applicant go back to the drawing board and come up with a different solution,” Kelley added. However, both Cipoletta and City Clerk Ashley Melnik noted that even if the ZBA approves granting the variances, the City Council still will need to issue a Special Permit for the townhouse use in the RB zoning district. The members voted 4-1 in favor of granting the variances, with Tucker the lone dissenter. Next up was an application from Broadway 700, LLC, 1040-1048, North Shore Road, requesting variances to enable the construction of a 20-unit apartment building at 700 Broadway. This matter also had been continued from the previous month. Attorney Brian McGrail of Wakefield represented the applicant, well-known local developer Jamie Russo, who is the principal of the LLC. McGrail said that the variances are needed because of the irregular shape and sloping topography of the lot which “precludes a reasonable and beneficial use of the site. This is a primary corridor in the city,” added McGrail. “This project is consistent with the surrounding neighborhood while advancing the city’s planning goals of housing, walkability, and economic activity.”
McGrail also addressed the issue of the lack of parking that had been raised at last month’s meeting by abutters and noted that Russo met with the neighbors in an effort to address their concerns. He further noted that Russo would ensure that future tenants — who will not be eligible for the city’s resident parking program — would not own cars, similar to what Russo has done with numerous other properties in the city that he has developed under similar circumstances. Two residents spoke against the proposal, with both citing concerns about parking, increased traffic congestion, and the size of the proposed building. Russo also briefly spoke to the board members and answered their questions. The members voted 4-1 in favor of granting the variances, with Tucker once again dissenting.
The next item on the agenda was a proposal for a 28-unit apartment building at 18-22 Green St. by Trichilo Development, LLC, 13 Victoria Street. Last fall, the ZBA had rejected a similar proposal by Trichilo for a 29-unit building. Ordinarily, a petitioner must wait a full year under state law before re-submitting a proposal to a ZBA. However, if the local Planning Board determines that the petitioner has submitted a new proposal that contains “material changes” from the original, then the petitioner may submit that new proposal to the ZBA within a year from the previous rejection.
Trichilo presented its new proposal to the Revere Planning Board, which unanimously voted to grant consent to allow the applicant to re-petition the ZBA. However, the ZBA also must make a procedural determination that the new proposal contains “material changes” from the original before considering the merits of the new proposal. Thus, the ZBA’s initially had to take a vote, as follows: “Pursuant to MGL c. 40A, s. 16, the ZBA will take a vote to make a determination whether specific and material changes have been made to the application for 18-22 Green Street.” Attorney Joseph Catoggio, who had represented Trichilo last fall, told the members that the new proposal was materially different from the original because the developer had reduced the number of units from 29 to 28; increased the front yard setback from the street by an additional five feet; and incorporated a roof deck to create more open space use. However, a majority of the board was not persuaded, with Pratt, Lopes, and Pelton voting against a finding that material changes had been made from the original proposal, and thereby preventing the merits of the new plan from coming before the board.
The final item for the eventing was a request from Fabio E. Casco Garcia, 5 Eastern Ave., requesting a special permit from the ZBA pursuant to Revere Revised Ordinances (RRO) Section 17.40.040 to enable him “to alter and extend the pre-existing, nonconforming two-family structure by constructing a two-story, rear yard addition to expand the living area of the two-family structure and incorporate a dimensionally-compliant accessory dwelling unit (ADU).” Local attorney Matt Graves presented the application. He said that the present dwelling, which was built in 1900, is in need of repair. He said there will be a small addition in the rear of the present building and the ADU will be contained in the attic.
“This project will be an overall improvement to the property and the neighborhood,” Graves said. “The addition will be in the rear of the building and will not be visible from the street. This project will not change the character of either the building or the neighborhood, and will blend in nicely with the neighborhood and the existing structure.” There were no opponents and the members voted unanimously to issue the special permit. The next meeting of the ZBA is set for April 29.