Special to the Journal
The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday evening, December 18, in the City Councillor Joseph A. DelGrosso City Council Chamber. Chair Michael Tucker and fellow members Aklog Limeneh, John Lopes, James O’Brien, and Arthur Pelton were on hand for the session.
The major news of the meeting was the board’s approval of variances that will allow for the construction of a modern warehouse facility on Lee Burbank Highway on the site of the former terminal for the Global Petroleum Co. along the banks of Chelsea Creek.
The specific language of the application was as follows: “Revere MA Owner, LLC, 602 W. Office Center Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington, PA, requesting the variances of the Revere Revised Ordinances (RRO) to enable the appellant to consolidate 96, 100, 140, 186, and 186A Lee Burbank Highway, subdivide the subject land into two lots, Parcel 1 and Parcel 2, and construct a technology-enabled warehouse and office space on proposed Parcel 1, Lee Burbank Highway.”
Local attorney Nancy O’Neil represented the applicant. O’Neil made a succinct and straightforward presentation in which she informed the board that the parcels presently contain dilapidated warehouses and other structures that the applicant intends to demolish in order to construct a modern, code-compliant, tech-enabled warehouse on Parcel 1.
O’Neil said that the irregular shape of the property requires zoning relief in order to enable the construction of the proposed warehouse. She noted that the removal of the old buildings and the construction of the new state-of-the-art warehouse (for which the applicant already has received approval from the Conservation Commission) will improve the face of Lee Burbank Highway. The building also will be safer and “greener” and will beautify the property, which is at the gateway to the city. There will be greenery and 100 new trees on the property.
O’Neil presented an architect’s rendering of the proposed warehouse. She further noted that highway safety will be improved over the status quo because there will be fewer entrances and exits from the new facility. She also added that the new project will contribute $400,000 per year in property taxes, which will be a substantial increase over the present property taxes of about $200,000. In addition, the dock on Chelsea Creek will remain in service.
O’Neil concluded by noting that Ward 1 City Councillor Joanne McKenna is in favor of the project, as is the officer of the mayor.
There were no opponents and the ZBA members unanimously approved granting the variances.
The board also took up three other matters, two of which they continued because the applicants had not provided sufficient clarity in the plot plans that accompanied their applications pertaining to the required dimensions for off-street parking spaces.
The first was a request from Alcione Simao, 7 View Street, who came before the board seeking two variances: “RRO Section 17.24.070(A) ‘No parking in the front yard,’ and RRO Section 17.24.070(A)(4,) ‘40% of the front yard must be landscaped to enable the appellant to provide for two parking spaces in the front yard of 7 View Street’.”
View St. is a tiny side street between Walnut St. and Grand View Ave. in No. Revere.
Ms. Simao presented the application on her own behalf. She said that she is seeking to provide two parking spaces in the front and one on the side of the property. She noted that the paved parking area already was there when she bought the house, but had been unaware that a previous owner had not obtained a variance to do so. She also noted that she is being fined $300 per week by the city for parking in her front yard.
Arthur Arsenault, who owns an abutting property, said he was in favor of the application because there is no availability for on-street parking on View St. There were no opponents.
However, after Ms. Simao answered some questions about the dimensions (which were slightly undersized) and exact locations of the parking spaces based on the plot plan she had submitted, the board voted to continue the matter until January in order for her to provide a plot plan, if possible, with the appropriately-sized parking spaces of 9′ x 18′. (The plot plan identified the spaces as being only 8.5′ x 17.5′.)
Next up was an application from Kyle Russo and Dylan Russo, 74 Quincy Avenue, Winthrop, requesting, “A variance of RRO Section 17.40.070 with respect to the requirement that no nonconforming lot shall be further reduced in area and frontage in order to file an ANR Plan for Lots 112 & Pt. Lot 113 at 26 Tapley Avenue and Lot 111 at 30 Tapley Avenue to enable the appellant to construct a new single-family dwelling on Lot 111 at 30 Tapley Avenue.”
Atty. Edward Valenzola represented the applicants. He explained that there is an existing home at 26 Tapley and a vacant lot at 30 Tapley. The frontage at 30 Tapley is 39.1′, but the zoning ordinance requires 40 feet. In addition, the new lot size at 26 Tapley will be 2847 sq. ft., but 3000 sq. ft. is required per the zoning ordinance for a single-home lot.
Valenzola noted that the two lots were reconfigured so as to be able to provide the necessary off-street parking for both properties. He also said that Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro had not received any opposition and that none of the neighbors opposed the project.
Though there were no opponents, Tucker pointed out that similar to the first application, the plot plan did not show the off-street parking spaces were the required size of 9′ x 18′.
Kyle Russo said that the dimensions of the parking spaces had been reviewed favorably by the Site Plan Review Committee because there is an adjacent strip of grass that is owned by the city that can be counted toward the required dimensions.
The ZBA members voted unanimously to continue this hearing as well in order to obtain some clarification from Site Plan Review.
The fourth and final application came from Jason Santos, 16 Mountain Avenue, “Requesting a variance of RRO Section 17.24.010 with respect to maximum number of 2-and-1?2 stories within the RB District to enable the appellant to construct a third story to provide for increased living area for the owner’s unit at 16 Mountain Avenue.”
The designer for the project appeared before the board and made a brief presentation, explaining that Mr. Santos is seeking to raise the roofline in order to provide for a full third-floor for his family. There were no opponents and the members unanimously approved granting the variance.
The next meeting of the ZBA is set for January 22.