By Dan Murphy
After arriving at a tie 3-3 vote on Wednesday, the Beacon Hill Civic Association Zoning and Licensing Committee upheld its standing opposition against granting the zoning relief requested by the homeowner of 4 Pinckney St.
The applicant is performing a gut rehab of the single-family home and intends to enlarge the kitchen, as well as expand elsewhere on the ground floor to accommodate storage space, a mudroom and a “greenhouse.” Plans also include the additions of a box dormer on the fourth floor and an outer balcony at the rear of the home.
The applicant seeks a 10-foot rear-yard setback variance from the city’s Board of Appeals, which was the basis for the motion voted on by the committee on Wednesday. The project might also require Floor Area Ration (FAR) relief from the city, although that matter remained unclear at press time.
In a straw vote taken by committee co-chair Tom Clemens, four immediate neighbors expressed serious objections to the project, citing potential privacy, light and water-runoff issues, among their concerns.
The homeowner previously withdrew his request for zoning relief with the committee on March 2, amid concerns from members and neighbors.