By Adam Swift
The development team for a proposed six-story, 71-unit apartment project on Parker Hill Avenue made a presentation to the Community Alliance of Mission Hill at its monthly meeting in September.
The project being proposed by parcel owner John Savage would sit behind and be an addition to an existing four-story, 24-unit apartment building at 11 Parker Hill Ave.
The addition requires zoning relief from the city for a number of potential zoning violations, according to project attorney John Pulgini.
“The lot size is 22,069 square feet, the zoning is multi-family residential 1,” said Pulgini. “The proposal is to build a six-story addition to the rear of the existing 24-unit building, having 71 additional units for a total of 95 apartments, with seven off-street parking spaces and 86 bicycle spaces.”
The current unit breakdown for the project is 54 studio apartments, 11 studios with dens, and six two-bedroom units.
However, the development team said after hearing from the planning board, that unit mix could change. Several residents who spoke at the CAMH meeting also said they were not in support of the project with its density and number of small, studio apartments, noting that it would potentially lead to more student housing in the area and a more transient population of renters.
Several residents also noted that given the number of potential zoning variances required for the project it should not move forward, and that the developer should consider cutting the number of proposed units in half and providing more multi-bedroom units.
Anticipated zoning violations, according to Pulgini, include the lot area, building height (three stories allowed, six proposed), open space, side and rear yard setbacks, and parking and loading.
The lot is currently being used as a parking lot with 24 spaces. The developers stated that five of those spaces are currently being used by tenants at the existing 24-unit apartment building, while the remainder are being leased to local businesses.
Project architect Monte French reviewed the building and landscaping plans for the project.
French noted that because of the steep slope of Parker Hill Avenue, the six-floor building would more easily blend into the neighborhood.
“Being on Parker Hill, everyone is familiar with the somewhat steep slope of the street … the angle of the street kind of diminishes the height as it works from right to left,” said French. “We do feel like it is actually a quite advantageous site just to be so far back and not closer to the street front. It helps to kind of diminish the building itself, it is actually quite difficult to see it in reality when you are walking up and down the street to be able to see beyond the trees and see back there, so I think it is actually a well-placed building.”
In response to input from several residents, the development team said it would be willing to reopen the public comment period on the project, which initially closed in August.
In addition, they stated that the planning department is targeting another public meeting on the project, potentially in mid-October.
“I think that would be good, because I heard some opposition from people who are not here,” said CAMH President Martin Beinborn. “As I think you have probably heard, there are a lot of concerns about the building.”