The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held its regular monthly meeting last
Wednesday, December 17, 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, James O’Brien, and John Lopes.
The board approved three major residential development projects: A 112-unit building at 500 Revere Street; a 62-unit apartment building at 329-331 Revere Street; and a 310-unit multifamily residential building on Lot 15 in the Overlook Ridge Overlay District. The board also approved two other applications and rejected another (see accompanying story) on a busy evening.
With regards to the three hearings for large-scale projects, only the proposal for 500 Revere St. faced significant opposition. The ZBA’s agenda item for 500 Revere St. stated as follows: “Zepaj Development, LLC, 791 Broadway, requesting variances of Title 17 of the Revere Revised Ordinances (RRO) to enable the appellant to raze the existing structure and construct a 112-unit residential structure at 500 Revere Street.”
Prominent Winthrop attorney James Cipoletta presented the application He informed the members that the existing structure (a former house of worship that has been the home of the Turkish Cultural Council) will be razed, to be replaced by a seven-story building with 112 apartment units, of which 30 will be studios, 58 will be one-bedrooms, and 24 will be two-bedrooms.
There will be 52 parking spaces, of which 40 will be beneath the building at grade and 12 others will be around the building. Cipoletta noted that there are six variances being sought, the most prominent being for the lack of parking and the excessive height.
The building will be 69 feet high in an area zoned for 50 feet, which Cipoletta said is necessitated by the parking at grade beneath the structure.
He noted that the principal hardship (to justify the variances under state law) pertains to the irregular shape of the lot, which consists of 20,365 sq. ft., and added that the developer will provide infrastructure improvements to the adjacent sidewalks, as well as new water and sewer lines.
Cipoletta concluded his presentation by stating that there had been a community meeting “at which we heard the good, the bad, and the ugly. We took all of those comments and put them into a revised plan.”
Local realtor Lou Markakis noted that Zepaj Development has been involved with many other projects in the city “and all have been well-received despite initial opposition.”
A resident of 9 Ford St. said he initially was skeptical of the proposal, but noted that the development “has more pros than cons and addressed my concerns. the project will add significant value for the residents of the neighbourhood.”
Another Ford St. resident said he is not opposed to the project and that he believes that the project will not have a negative impact on the neighborhood.
A resident at 15 Bellevue Ave., a direct abutter, said, “I feel this will be a great project. I’ve seen the developer’s other work and this will be a nice addition to the neighborhood.”
A resident of 19 Cooley St. also spoke in support of the project, citing an improvement in the traffic pattern that will accrue from the project.
Ward 5 Councillor Guarino-Sawaya also voiced her support for the project. “I understand there has been some opposition, but I believe this project ultimately will be a benefit both of the surrounding area and the city of Revere, not to mention the added tax revenue for the city. I have met with the developer, Mr. Zepaj, on numerous occasions and he addressed the concerns that had been raised by residents at the community meeting.”
Guarino-Sawaya specifically addressed concerns about increased traffic, noting that the traffic pattern of the new building will assist with the traffic flow along Revere St. She also noted that the seventh floor, which will be set back from the street, was necessary for the financial viability of the project and that a building of similar height is also located on Revere St.
“I respect the differing opinions of the neighbors, but this project will have a positive impact on our community. It represents a meaningful improvement and will support small businesses along Revere St. and the broader interests of the city,”
Guarino-Sawaya concluded.
A number of residents spoke in opposition. The first opponent, a resident of the six- unit condo building at 486 Revere St., said, “This is not a hardship. The developer paid a lot of money for the lot, but that is not a hardship.” She also cited the potential traffic problems for the intersection of Ford and Revere Sts.
“The zoning codes are there for a reason, to balance the needs of the community and the developer, but in this case, the variances do not support the community,” said a resident of 21 Bellevue Ave., who noted the lack of front and side setbacks and the shadows that will be created by the building’s seven-stories in height. “This will be a giant, monstrous structure in a neighborhood area,” he added.
Kori O’Hara of 270 Beach St., who has been highly-critical of the ZBA’s granting of variances elsewhere in the city, spoke against the proposal, noting that the statutory tests of hardship are not met by the lot in question. “Variances are not supposed to be a design strategy used to squeeze a giant project into a lot that can’t support it under the zoning ordinance,” O’Hara said.
Another resident cited the traffic problems that she said the new building will create and that its height will block the sun for her home and others.
In addition, the ZBA received a large number of letters from area residents who opposed the project. After Rick Salvo, the project’s engineer, answered some questions from the board members about the project, the board voted 4-1 in favor of the application (with the proviso that the residents will not be eligible for the city’s on-street parking program), with Tucker dissenting.
The board next took up an application from Overlook Ridge, LLC, which requested variances “to enable the construction of a 310-unit multi-family residential building on Lot 15 in the Overlook Ridge Overlay District.”
Attorney Adam Weisenberg from the firm of Nixon, Peabody on 53 State St., Boston, presented the application. “This is the last residential lot at Overlook Ridge in the Revere section and consists of 146,000 sq. ft. within the larger Overlook Ridge site plan area,” said Weisenberg, noting that the variances being sought pertain to the lack of setback and the maximum height.
Revere City Planner Tom Skwierawski sent in a letter in support of the project. In response to a question from Lopes, Weisenberg noted that the new building will include 15 percent affordable housing and that it is the last part of the 21-year Overlook Ridge project.
The ZBA members unanimously approved the project.
Next on the agenda was an application from Revere 331, LLC, 1040-1048 North Shore Road, Unit B2, “requesting variances to enable the appellant to raze the existing structures and construct a 62-unit apartment building at 329-331 Revere Street.”
Attorney Brian McGrail of Wakefield presented the application. He said that the lot consists of 8724 sq. ft. and is located in the General Business district. One of the structures is an older, mixed-use building dating from 1930 and the other is a three-family structure built in 1920. Both are in poor condition and the parcels have an irregular shape, multiple lot lines, significant sloping, and uneven topography.
The new six-story building will have 14 parking spaces. Variances needed pertain to floor area ratio (FAR), lack of setbacks, lack of parking, a lack of minimum lot size, maximum number of stories, and maximum building height.
“The project advances the purpose of the Revere zoning ordinances by removing unsafe and unsightly structures and providing new housing opportunities in the city that also will support local businesses in the area,” said McGrail. “Public transportation is available with bus lines directly connecting to the Blue Line.”
The ZBA received numerous letters in support from Revere St. residents.
Ward 5 Councillor Guarino-Saways spoke in favor of the project. “This will replace outdated buildings that detract from the area along this corridor, which is a gateway to our city, particularly during the summer months,” she said. “This corridor has tremendous potential and this project represents an investment in realizing that potential. It will provide much-needed housing that will replace outdated buildings that detract from the overall character of this key commercial area and will revitalize an area of the city that has long been overlooked. The developer, Jamie Russo, has a proven track record of revitalizing areas of Revere, such as the Shirley Ave. area that has been transformed thanks to his development projects.”
A resident of 33 Hawes St. spoke against the proposal, citing the potential burden on the local schools. She also noted that affordability is an issue for the typical Revere resident. “These are new people coming in who do not stay in the city and are here for only one or two years and give nothing back to the community and then move on to better things,” she said.
O’Hara also spoke in opposition to this application, asserting that the “hardship narrative is unsubstantiated.”
Another area resident from 65 Stower St. cited the traffic concerns and noted that the Paul Revere School already is overcrowded and the project will add to the problems that already exist.
A resident of 63 Stower St., who said she has lived there for 30 years, suggested that the project will take away from the “close-knit community and the neighborhood of Revere St, as well as adding to the traffic problem from the nearby American Legion Highway.”
Lopes apoke following the public comment period.
“I know there is a lot of concern about the buildings that are going up and I understand the frustration. But we have responsible builders in this city who are in this city every day. I visit Shirley Ave. 2-3 times a week and have seen the transformations that have occurred, and I’ve lived here for 30 years. And to be honest, the traffic that I see the most on Revere Beach is coming from Lynn, Marblehead, Swampscott. I never see anyone coming out of the buildings on the beach or on Ocean Ave.
“Traffic is bad on Revere St. in the summer months and traffic is difficult during the school year at the times that school is opening or letting out,” Lopes added
The members approved the variances by a vote of 4-1, with Tucker dissenting.
The board also took up two other matters. Julia Nogueira, 90 King Street, Hanover, requested a variance of Revere Revised Ordinances (RRO) Section 17.28.020 (minimum parking requirements) and a special permit in accordance with RRO Section 17.40.040 to enable the conversion of an existing non-conforming single-family dwelling into a two-family dwelling at 460 Revere Street.
O’Hara spoke in favor of the proposal, noting the irregular shape of the lot, which therefore created a hardship per state law.
Ward 5 Councillor Guarino-Sawaya noted that she had received two letters in opposition to the petition, but they had not been received by the ZBA. The members voted 4-1 (with Tucker opposed) to approve the application.
The final application came from SD Winthrop, LLC c/o The HYM Investment Group, LLC, One Beacon Street, 31st Floor, Boston, “requesting variances to enable the appellant to construct a plaza consisting of an ornamental tower and marketing office at 619 Winthrop Avenue, adjacent to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Beachmont Station.”
Rachel Ottley, a vice-president with HYM (the developer of the former Suffolk Downs), told the board that the parcel in question is the former Beachmont Roast Beef location. She said the new plaza “will be the front door to the new Suffolk Downs.”
She said the light tower will be 55 feet tall and will be an “homage to the former light-block tower at the Beachmont station.”
Ward 1 City Councillor-elect James Mercurio spoke in favor of the project. “I’ve spoken to HYM as has the Beachmont Improvement Committee, which also is supportive of the project. This project is a colorful and creative piece of public art in the gateway to Donnelly Square.”
However, Mercurio added that he wants to ensure that the tower is not be used for a cell-phone tower. Skwierawski sent in a letter from the city endorsing the project.
The ZBA unanimously approved the application, with the proviso that the tower shall remain strictly ornamental and may not be used for communications facilities.
