By Adam Swift
The Community Alliance of Mission Hill heard plans for the proposed construction of a five-story, 14-unit residential development at 87 Heath St. at its December meeting. The plan is scheduled to be back before the CAMH at its January meeting, where several Alliance members said they hope to hear from the building owner to address questions such as the potential for AirBnB rentals at the building and on-site parking. The building is slated to include two affordable units, according to project attorney Richard Lynds. “This involves the redivision of some existing lots,” said Lynds. “We are proposing to create a new lot which will have a little over 6,100 square feet of area. We are proposing to construct a new 14-unit residential unit. The units are anywhere from 760 to 1,900 square feet depending upon which level they are on.” The plans show parking on the ground level, with the residential units on the top four floors. The unit mix includes six one-bedroom units, four two-bedrooms, one three-bedroom, and a four bedroom, with the size of the two affordable units to be determined. Because of when the project was filed with the city, Lynds said the project is subject to Article 79, which handles the affordable housing component for all projects over seven units in the city. Because the project is under 20,000 square feet and 15 units, Lynds said it is not subject to Article 80, small project review. “It is simply subject only to the zoning code for purposes of any of the items cited by ISD (inspectional services) for relief,” said Lynds. The items which require zoning relief from the city for the project include minimum lot area, additional lot area per unit, floor area ratio, building height, usable open space, rear yard setback, and the number of parking spaces. Under current zoning, one parking spot is required per unit, with seven proposed at 87 Heath St. One CAMH member also requested that the developers conduct a shadow study for the project. CAMH member Dave Greenup said he would like to see conditions limiting the use of the units as short-term rentals and as rental units for undergraduate students. “On the short-term rental, I think that is an easy one,” said Lynds. “Under the Boston housing ordinance, you can only have short-term rentals under certain circumstances. This 14-unit building would not be eligible for short-term rentals; that is a specific zoning designation that would have to be put in place for this. “We are looking for multi-family residential, not short-term rental zoning, so that should not be an issue at all.” Greenup noted that the short-term rental ordinance is not properly enforced, and that in Back Bay, Fenway, and Beacon Hill there are high-rise buildings where short-term rental companies block rent a number of units at a time. In other business, the CAMH heard a proposal from the owner of 69-71 South Huntington St. to convert those buildings from three- to four-unit buildings by adding units to the basement levels. The owner of the properties said he was not attempting to pack students into his properties, but to provide housing for the neighborhood. The CAMH also heard a presentation from the owner of 37 Calumet St., who is seeking to convert an existing three family home into a four-family home by adding a residential unit in the basement.