Board permits taller multifamily building on hillside after designers cite slope and neighbor impacts

River Street Architecture described a difficult, steeply sloped lot in the hillside-protection overlay and asked the board to approve a taller building (increase from 70 ft to 85 ft) and to reduce transparency on the Fort Avenue facade from 20% to 15% because stair and elevator cores occupy that elevation.

Justin Dums Day said the project compresses development upward and toward Fort Avenue to avoid placing a 70-foot building close to residences on Palmer Street and to keep disturbance on the steep slope lower on the site. He told the board staff had allowed a disturbance allowance of roughly 63.1% under the hillside rules and that soils and foundation considerations made building higher at the Fort Avenue edge less intrusive than spreading the project downhill. He also explained that stair cores constrained the amount of glass that could be placed on the Fort Avenue facade.

Board members pressed on soil/foundation trade-offs, sight lines from adjacent houses and alternatives such as stepping back at upper stories or using CG3 zoning; staff clarified that taller zones would trigger increased stepbacks. After discussion about minimizing overall hillside disturbance and protecting existing lower residences, the board approved the requested height and the modest reduction in transparency.