The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, July 29, 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, James O’Brien, and alternate member Peggy Pratt.
The big news of the meeting was the board’s rejection of an application by 1290 Northshore Road, LLC, 365 Turnpike St., South Easton, “requesting variances from the ZBA to enable the appellant to construct a 17-story high rise development consisting of 358 units at 1290 North Shore Road within the Wonderland Transit Overlay Development District (WTODD).”
The property is located on the site of the Wonderland Ballroom and is immediately adjacent to the Wonderland MBTA stop.
Prominent Winthrop attorney James Cipoletta presented the application. Cipoletta showed the members an architectural rendering of the proposed mixed-use building. He said the project will include a ballroom and 358 apartment units consisting of 103 2-bedroom units, 195 1-BR units, and 60 studios. There will be parking underneath at grade level.
Cipoletta said that the developer has agreed with the city to make 10 percent of the units affordable (at 80 percent of the Area Median Income), equally dispersed among the size of the units. He said that the function facility and the garage, with their higher ceiling heights, necessitate the variances for excessive height (160 feet is permitted, which will be exceeded by 22.6 feet) and for more stories than the 16 that are permitted.
As for the 90 parking spaces, Cipoletta cited the proximity to the Wonderland T station for the developer’s request for a parking variance.
Ward 2 City Councillor Ira Novoselsky, the dean of the City Council, spoke in favor of the application. “The 17 stories is only one story more than is allowed,” said Novoselsky, noting the benefits to the city of having a modern function space to replace the Wonderland Ballroom, as well as the 10 percent of units that will be affordable. “I think we can live with the 17 stories.”
City Councillor at-Large Marc Silvestri also spoke in favor of the proposal. “Affordable housing is much-needed in the city,” said Silvestri.
Jan Dumas, a long-time community activist, also spoke in favor of the project, likewise citing the 10 percent of affordable housing that the project will bring to the city. “It is very rare for a developer to agree to this,” Dumas said. “Right now most of that land is just a parking lot, so let’s use it for affordable housing.”
Travis Alpert added that with the city “way behind on affordable units and low on function spaces, I definitely am in favor of this.”
Ward 1 City Councillor Jim Mercurio also spoke. “I like the project and it’s a beautiful building, but I have two concerns, the height and the lack of parking,” said Mercurio.
Marjorie Ricci, who has lived at 382 Ocean Ave. for 36 years, cited the “horrific traffic” situation on No. Shore Rd. that she suggested will be exacerbated by the project.
“This will be the tallest building in Revere and that concerns me,” said Tucker.
Although the members voted 3-2 in favor of granting the variances (Tucker and O’Brien voted “No”), the application failed because under state law, an application for a variance to a local ZBA requires a supermajority (in this case, four of the five members) in order to gain approval.
However, the board did vote in favor of two other large-scale rental projects from local developer Jamie Russo. The first was an application from Two Two Seven, LLC, 1040 North Shore Road, Unit B2, “requesting variances from the ZBA to enable the appellant to construct a 42-unit apartment building at 227 Revere St.”
Atty. Brian McGrail presented the application. Russo, the principal of the LLC, also was on hand. McGrail said the project will replace “an older mixed-use building that has outlived its useful life with a fully-modern residential structure that will be compliant with the new building code, fire, and accessibility requirements. This will represent a substantial improvement over existing conditions on the site and is consistent with the purposes of the Revere zoning ordinances.”
There were no opponents and the members voted 4-1 (with Tucker dissenting) to approve the application on the condition that the tenants will not be eligible for the city’s resident on-street parking program.
The members then heard another application submitted by Russo’s Eastern Equity Partners, LLC, 1040 North Shore Road, Unit B2, Revere, “requesting variances to enable the appellant to construct an 85-unit apartment building at
29, 35, and 43 Foster Street and an unnumbered parcel on Foster Street,”
McGrail also presented this application, noting that the site, which has been home to the Burnett & Moynihan Lumber yard for almost 100 years, “is no longer compatible with the surrounding community.”
Ward 4 City Councillor Paul Argenzio spoke in favor of the project, noting that the City Council unanimously expressed its support for the proposal at a meeting the night before at which abutters to the property also spoke in favor. Argenzio also noted that the residences will increase foot traffic on Broadway that will benefit local businesses.
Councillor-at-Large Silvestri noted that the replacement of the lumber yard will be beneficial for the neighborhood because it will eliminate the large trucks that utilize the lumber yard.
The members unanimously approved the application with the condition that the tenants will not be able to participate in the city’s residential on-street parking program.
In other matters, the board considered an application from James Fitzpatrick, Trustee, 620 Revere Beach Blvd. Realty Trust, 620 Revere Beach
Blvd., who was requesting “a variance of Revere Revised Ordinances (RRO) Section 17.16.260 with respect to no accessory structure can occupy more than 10% of the rear yard and not be located within the required side yard in the RA District to enable the appellant to validate and permit an existing storage shed constructed approximately two years ago, which a portion of is located within a City of Revere sewer easement, at 620 Revere Beach Boulevard.”
The matter had been continued since May 27, 2025. Attorney Joseph Catoggio represented the applicant. He said that Mr. Fitzpatrick is willing to reduce the shed’s size by three feet in order to ensure that it does not encroach on the city’s easement. Catoggio further noted that the Conservation Commission also is taking up the matter because of issues relating to water displacement.
There were no opponents and the members approved the application by a vote of 4-1, with O’Brien dissenting, on the condition that the size of the shed be reduced by three feet in order to eliminate its encroachment on the city’s easement.
The board next considered a request from Ibrahim Asidah, 84 Patriot Parkway, who was “requesting a variance of RRO Section 17.24.010 maximum principal building coverage and RRO Section 17.24.030(3) parking requirement that an existing developed lot (83 Patriot Parkway) held in common ownership with a qualified vacant lot (Lot 194 Patriot Parkway) must provide at least two off-street parking spaces on the developed lot to enable the appellant to construct a single-family dwelling on Lot 194 Patriot Parkway.”
Atty. Catoggio represented the applicant. Catoggio noted that the same application had been approved by the ZBA last March, but an issue with the title arose that precluded the applicant from moving forward with the project.
Since the applicant had been unable to complete the project within the required statutory time period, he needed to submit a new (and identical) application, which the members unanimously approved.
Next up was a request from Aklog Limeneh, 18 Belle Isle Avenue, “requesting variances from the ZBA to enable the appellant to subdivide the existing lot into proposed Lot 1 and proposed Lot 2, and construct a two-family dwelling on proposed Lot 2 at 18 Belle Isle Avenue.”
Mr. Limeneh, as a member of the ZBA, recused himself from the discussion and from voting on the matter. Rick Salvo from Engineering Alliance presented the application. Salvo said there presently is a one-family home on the existing lot and that home will remain. The proposed Lot 2 will contain the new 2-family home and will have four off-street parking spaces in garages underneath the building.
Ward 1 Councillor Mercurio said he has met with neighbors and they are in favor of the project, as is he. The members voted 5-0 in favor of the application, with Ms. Pratt voting in favor.
Next up was a “request from SD Beachmont, LLC, c/o HYM Investment Group, LLC, One Beacon Street, 31st Floor, Boston, for variances to enable the appellant to subdivide the existing lot at 130 Washburn Avenue into proposed Lot 1 and proposed Lot 2 for the purpose of maintaining the existing resiliency berm on Lot 1 for flood protection for the adjacent Suffolk Downs Redevelopment and selling the existing two-family dwelling on proposed Lot 2.”
Mary Kate Shneeweis, a Senior Environmental Planning Specialist with Beals and Thomas, presented the application. She said that HYM is seeking to subdivide the lot in order to sell the current house on the lot, while retaining ownership of the proposed new lot in order to maintain the berm.
She noted that the proposed new lots are in line with the size of other lots in the neighborhood. Ward 1 Councillor Mercurio spoke in favor of the project. “It is important that we keep that berm there for the resiliency project,” Mercurio said.
The members unanimously voted in favor of the application.
The members heard a request from Ghana Realty, LLC, 343 Washington St., Suite 201, Newton, “requesting an additional six-month extension of the one-year exercise period from the Zoning Board of Appeals associated with the granted variances of A-25-15 to enable the appellant to build a two-story addition and add 13 new units to the existing six-unit three-story residential structure at 641-643 Beach Street.”
Local attorney Nancy O’Neill said that the applicant has run into issues relating to utility connections which have necessitated the request for an extension.
Ward 2 Councillor Novoselsky spoke in favor of the extension and the members unanimously approved it.
The next meeting of the ZBA is set for August 26.