On Wednesday, December 18, the Community Alliance of Mission Hill (CAMH) met for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting. On the agenda was a presentation about 17-19 Sunset St.
CAMH heard a presentation by Attorney Patrick Mahoney, who represents Janice Ye, the owner of a three-family rental at 17-19 Sunset Street. Ye wants to repave four existing parking spaces and add one new parking space in the rear yard.
There are currently no paved parking spaces behind the building, although residents sometimes park on the unpaved surface. Most frequently, residents park one in front of the other in the driveway.
Boston Survey, Inc. designed the parking lot and did not make any adjustments to the existing landscaping. Currently there is grass in the front yard, and landscaping between the rear parking area and the neighboring house. The area will be paved with permeable or porous asphalt in order to prevent runoff into neighboring properties.
Ye requires variances for the following violations: the parking is within five feet of the side lot line, there is insufficient maneuverability of parking, the side yard lacks the required width to be used for a driveway, and there is insufficient usable open space. A rear abutter has also requested that the owner install a privacy fence to block headlights from vehicles, which the owner agreed to.
CAMH members asked why five parking spaces were needed for a three-unit building and if any of them would be rented. Mahoney said that the additional spaces were for short-term visitors to the residence, such as house cleaning services, and that the owner had no intention of renting them out.
Mahoney reported that no study had been done to ensure maneuverability of vehicles, and CAMH members expressed concern that pulling out of a space would be difficult if all spaces were occupied. They also noted that there didn’t appear to be any room to pile snow cleared from the spaces. Mahoney asserted that there is room.
Additional questions can be sent to Mahoney at [email protected].
Community Alliance of Mission Hill meets on the third Wednesday of the month in auditorium G-3 of the Kresge building at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health at 677 Huntington Ave. from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Their next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 15. All members of the Mission Hill community are invited to attend.