By Dan Murphy
One of the owners of All Star Pizza Bar outlined his plans to open a second location on Cambridge Street during a meeting of the Beacon Hill Civic Association Zoning and Licensing Committee on Wednesday.
Kosta Diamantopoulos, who opened the original location in Cambridge’s Inman Square with his brother Johnny in 2012, intend to convert the former Griddler’s restaurant at 204 Cambridge St. into a pizzeria. The new restaurant’s hours of operation would be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday, and besides pizza, it would serve only canned soda and bottled water. The pizzeria would offer delivery via the DoorDash service, Diamantopoulos said.
In response to concerns about trash and rodents in the area, Diamantopoulos said the restaurant would contract Modern Pest Services of Waltham for extermination purposes and agreed to keep the sidewalk and curb outside the establishment free of litter.
Diamantopoulos also agreed to meet with Civic Association board member Keeta Gilmore and Lindall Place resident Linda Jordan-Dow on the premises to discuss exterior signage, including its proposed orange and green color-scheme.
“It sounds like it will be a nice upgrade and improvement on that part of Cambridge Street, so we’re looking forward to it,” said Tom Clemens, committee chair.
In another matter, the homeowner of a two-family townhouse at 104 Chestnut St. is seeking to appeal a refusal letter from the city’s Inspectional Service Department in response to plans for a substantial renovation.
“My client wants to upgrade a couple of bathrooms, remodel the kitchen and add a bathroom on the lower level,” said Sam Dennis of Waltham-based Platt Anderson Freeman Architects. “He wants to take part of a closet area and repurpose it from storage to a bathroom.”
While ISD maintains that the building’s floor area ratio (FAR) slightly exceeds the maximum limit, the applicant has countered that the project doesn’t require a zoning variance, since evidence shows the basement has served as living space since 1954.
The committee voted that it was “reasonably convinced” of the basement’s pre-existing use, and not to oppose the applicant seeking a variance, if his request is denied.
The city’s Zoning Board of Appeal has a hearing on the matter scheduled at City Hall on Nov. 15.