ZBA unanimously approves conversion of 1093 Beacon St. to four residential units; affordable-housing payment required

The Brookline Zoning Board of Appeals on a unanimous vote approved a proposal to convert 1093 Beacon Street from commercial use to four residential dwelling units, granting the special permits and design-review approvals requested by the applicant.

Attorney Robert Allen, representing the owner, told the board the four-story brick building currently sits in an M2 multifamily district but had been used for commercial offices and that the conversion would return the property to a residential use “that this project successfully achieves.” He said the proposal includes creating four garage parking spaces in a basement using a car elevator and turntable to fit vehicles in a compact footprint. “The cash payment will be for 2% of the appraised value of the building after construction,” Allen said when summarizing the affordable-housing requirement for the fourth unit.

The applicant sought relief primarily under the bylaw’s special-permit provision (discussed in the hearing as section 8.02) and noted the project decreases floor-area ratio (FAR) in part because a prior basement residential unit would no longer count toward FAR. Architect Gary Hendren of Hendren Associates said exterior changes are modest: window replacements “of like kind” and replacing an aluminum commercial front with a residential-style wood entrance. Hendren described the car-lift system and trash-room arrangement in the basement, saying the design “makes it a very usable scenario, to get 4 parking spaces within the basement space.”

Planning staff recommended approval with conditions that include submission of final stamped plans, a landscaping plan, and a requirement that the applicant confirm the cash payment amount with the senior housing planner prior to applying for a certificate of occupancy. The building department reported it has no objection and will work with the petitioner to ensure compliance with codes.

At deliberation the board’s members said the proposal met the special-permit standards under section 9.05 and that the changes would not be substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood. The board voted unanimously to grant the requested relief subject to the conditions read into the record. The decision requires the applicant to submit final, stamped drawings, to provide the agreed landscaping plan, and to satisfy the affordable-housing cash payment procedure described by planning staff.

The board’s decision is effective once the required recording and filings are completed as set out in the conditions read on the record; the planning staff will confirm final plan dates and the housing planner will confirm the cash payment prior to occupancy.