The Zoning Board of Appeal on Tuesday approved plans by a builder and the Cedar Grove Cemetery to build three two-family homes on a piece of cemetery-owned land on Milton Street at Granite Street.
At a hearing, an attorney for local builder Sean George‘s project said the cemetery can’t use the the roughly one-third-acre parcel for its original purpose of burials because it’s mainly ledge.
The three buildings would be clustered around a driveway and parking area with room for twelve cars, which proved the only contentious topic at the hearing.
Board members Hansy Better Barraza and Gio Valencia said they would prefer to see fewer spaces, possibly no more than eight. Better Barraza said she was concerned about headlights from cars shining into some bedroom units. Valencia noted that for several years now, the city has worked with developers to reduce the amount of parking in projects near transit stations – the proposed development is roughly a half mile from the Ashmont T stop.
The board’s approval of a variance – for two or more dwelling units on a single lot – had a condition that George work with the Boston Planning Department to see if the number of spaces could be reduced.
George’s attorney, Charlie Tevnan, however, said that while George will certainly work with city planner, he included 12 spaces at the request of neighbors, who told him the block already has problems with on-street parking and that they did not want to see more competition for the limited number of on-street parking.
Tevnan added that George will work to preserve as many mature trees on the lot as possible, although he added that the same ledge that makes burials impractical also means there aren’t many. He added, however, that the land is surrounded by lots of trees on the 39-acre cemetery it adjoins.
Both the Cedar Grove Civic Assocation and City Councilor John FitzGerald supported the proposal.
