By Journal Staff
The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday evening, August 28, in the City Councillor Joseph A. DelGrosso City Council Chamber. Chair Michael Tucker and fellow members Aklog Limeneh, John Lopes, James O’Brien, Arthur Pelton, and alternate member Peggy Pratt were on hand for the session.
The most-contentious hearing of the evening pertained to an application from Daniel Sibor, 810 Washington Avenue, who was requesting “a variance of Revere Revised Ordinances (RRO) Section 17.28.020 with respect to minimum parking requirements for apartment use in the General Business (GB) District to enable the appellant to construct a 30-unit residential apartment building with 26 parking spaces at 810 Washington Avenue.”
Lou Markakis, a real estate agent in Lynn, told the board that the building, which will have 15 studio units and 15 one-bedroom units, is 70 percent complete with a planned ribbon-cutting in January. He said that four years ago the ZBA gave zoning relief to the previous owner because of the irregular shape of the property, which formerly was a bakery.
He said that seven MBTA bus lines operate within walking distance of the building. He further noted that there were 36 parking spaces in the original plan, of which 10 spaces were “stacked”.
However, Markakis said that the new request for a reduction in parking to 26 spaces, all at grade, will allow for a better design of the building. Markakis also noted that fewer than 50% of the potential tenants have requested information about parking. He further said that a stacked, mechanical parking system is not safe.
Atty. Sam Vitale of Lynn also spoke in favor of the application, noting that stacked parking of the sort sought in the original application is not safe, both for those who use the system and for public safety personnel because of the potential for a fire in an electric vehicle.
City Councillor Anthony Zambuto spoke in favor of the application and likewise stated that stacked parking is not safe and that the City Council is considering banning stacked parking in residential buildings.
Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya also spoke in favor of the application and against the stacked parking. She noted her recent personal experience with stacked parking at a Boston hospital in which her vehicle got stuck and it took an hour before a mechanic could come to fix the problem.
Ward 2 Councilor Ira Novoselsky spoke in favor of the application to eliminate the need for stacked parking and noted that he too, had a bad experience with stacked parking at a Boston hospital in which his vehicle became stuck.
However, former Ward 6 Councillor Richard Serino spoke against the application, noting that parking will be an issue on Washington Ave. if the variance is granted.
City Councillor Michelle Kelley also raised issues about parking congestion in the neighborhood. She said she recently met with residents of Sherman St. who expressed concerns that even though the vehicles of the tenants at 810 Washington Ave. will not be eligible for residential parking stickers, they still fear that their street will be subject to overflow parking from the building. She also said that though she is opposed to stackers in principle, the developer should be held to the terms of his original application.
ZBA member Lopes, the lone member of the board to speak on the issue, said he recently had a bad experience with stacked parking in New York City. He also agreed that most potential tenants for the building will not own vehicles and thus will not exacerbate parking problems in the area.
However, the board rejected the request for a variance. Although a 3-2 majority voted in favor of granting the variance, with Lopes, Pelton, and O’Brien in favor and Tucker and Limeneh opposed, since a super-majority (two-thirds) of the board is needed for approval, the measure failed.
The board heard an application from Martin Carbo, 263 Oakwood Avenue, “requesting a variance of RRO Section 17.16.260(F)(1) minimum side yard setback for accessory structures to enable the appellant to construct a gazebo (15.8’ x 19.1’) at 263 Oakwood Avenue.”
Mr. Carbo told the members, “I’m just trying to make my house more enjoyable for the summer months. It’s just very tight in the back.”
A neighbor of Mr. Carbo, Carmen DiRuzza of 266 Oakwood Ave., spoke in favor of the application. “Mr. Carbo is an awesome neighbor and he keeps his property meticulously,” DiRuzza said. “We have a nice neighborhood and I can see this gazebo from across the street and it is aesthetically [pleasing.”
Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro sent in an email supporting the project. The board unanimously approved issuing the variance.
Marcia Lucenta, 630 Revere Beach Blvd., came before the board to request “variances of RRO Section 17.24.010 with respect to minimum side yard setback requirement of 10 feet within the RA District, and RRO Section 17.24.010 with respect to maximum principal building coverage requirement of 30% within the RA District to enable the appellant to construct a two-car garage and a handicap accessible entry way at 630 Revere Beach Blvd.”
Ms. Lucenta appeared on her own behalf. She explained that an existing porch needs to be widened to accept a wheelchair where a ramp will be installed. There were no opponents, but Ward 5 Councillor Guarino-Sawaya-Guarino requested that a six-foot high fence be constructed along the property line with a neighbor, a condition to which Ms. Lucenta agreed. The board unanimously approved granting the variances.
Flow Design Architects, 50 Grove Street, Salem, requested “a variance of RRO Section 17.24.010 maximum requirement of 2 & 1?2 stories within the RB District to enable the appellant to construct a third level to increase livable square footage in an existing two-family home at 73 Amelia Place.”
Darguin Fortuna, a representative from Flow Design, appeared on behalf of the homeowner. “Additional bedrooms and a bath are needed by the homeowner for her family,” Fortuna said. “Other buildings in the neighborhood have a similar look and feel.”
City councillors Chris Giannino and Cogliandro sent in letters in support of the application. There were no opponents and the board unanimously approved issuing the variance.
The members unanimously rejected an application that was continued from the July meeting from Philip J. Consolo, 169 Rice Avenue, who was “requesting a special permit pursuant to Revere Revised Ordinances (RRO) Section 17.40.040 to enable the appellant the improve a preexisting, nonconforming single-family structure by renovating the first floor and adding a second floor to the rear structure located at 169 Rice Avenue.”
Rick Salvo from Engineering Alliance spoke on behalf of the applicant and asked for another continuance. However, Councillor Guarino-Sawaya spoke against the application.
“The structure has not been used in many years and has not been lived in for at least 30 years that I’ve lived in Pt. of Pines,” she said. “The neighbors are against it and I can’t support it.”
The ZBA members unanimously voted to deny the application, noting that the use of the property is a non-conforming use that has been abandoned for two years and that no plans had been submitted with the application.
