The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission (BHCA) gave the green light to a pair of design review applications, which will allow a proposed affordable home ownership project on Hancock Street to move forward, during the commission’s monthly public hearing held virtually on Thursday, Aug. 21.
Per its agreement with developer JDMD, the nonprofit Fenway CDC (Community Development Center) is redeveloping two adjacent properties located at 27-29 Hancock St. into a total of 15 units at 80-100 percent AMI (Area Median Income) for new homeowners.
JDMD, which developed The Archer Residences – a luxury condo building on Temple Street – purchased 27-29 Hancock St. in 2018, with plans to gift the buildings to another developer for the creation of off-site affordable housing units to satisfy its IDP (Inclusionary Development Policy) with the city for the Archer project.
The application for 27 Hanock St. proposes the installation of new door hardware and a new light fixture; the replacement of existing, non-historic windows at all levels; and the repainting of the lintels, as well as repainting the door and surround to match the finish of 25 Hancock St.
A motion to approve this application as submitted was put forth by Vice Chair Arian Allen and approved unanimously by herself, Chair Mark Kiefer, and Commissioners Maurice Finegold and Sandra Steele; it came with a ‘friendly amendment’ that the new windows have a two-over-two configuration; that a dark spacer bar be used in the windows; that no low-e glass be used in the windows; and that project details be submitted to staff (Nicholas Armata), prior to construction commencing.
The application for 29 Hancock St. proposes the replacement of the side entrance door; the lowering by 6 inches and resetting of the threshold on side door to make the entrance ADA compliant; the replacement of all non-historic windows with all wood, two-over-two, double-hung windows; and the repainting of the cornice in black.
A motion to approve this application as submitted, put forward by Chair Kiefer, was unanimously approved; the determination came with several provisos, including that the new paint color for the cornice be revised, specifically to match the building’s masonry, and that the paint color be delegated to staff for final approval.
Chair Kiefer noted this affordable home ownership project on Hancock Street was a “long time coming,” with a lot of community feedback leading to “what looks like quite a successful resolution to bring affordable housing to Beacon Hill.”
Likewise, a representative from Homes on Hancock – a grass-roots group which continually advocated for the creation of adequate affordable housing at 27-29 Hancock St. – also voiced their strong support for the proposed project.
In another matter, the commission voted unanimously on a motion, put forward by Vice Chair Allen, to approve as submitted a design review application for 106 Cambridge St., which proposes the replacement of the awning with branding to reflect a new business at that location, Yaba Sushi.
Chair Kiefer noted this address falls within an approximately 40-foot-wide swath running from Charles Circle to Bowdoin Street along Cambridge Street on the Beacon Hill side, which only became part of the Beacon Hill Historic District last year with the passage of a new law.
On a violation for an unapproved intercom system at 97 Mount Vernon St., the commission unanimously supported a motion, put forward by Chair Kiefer, to dismiss the violation and approved as submitted a design for a replacement intercom system, with provisos that the box and unit does not obscure any architectural details; and that the treatment of the molding around the system be delegated to staff for final approval.
Chair Kiefer noted that this same issue has recently come before the commission on many occasions, and that the proposed unit adheres to the commission’s de facto standard for new intercom systems in the Beacon Hill Historic District.
On a violation issued to The Sevens Ale House at 77 Charles St. for unapproved storefront alterations, the commission supported by a majority a motion, put forward by Chair Kiefer, to ratify the violation, and to approve a proposed, new design for the building’s facade.
This determination came with several provisos, including that the exact details of a proposed corner window element be provided to staff before construction commences, among other stipulations.
Commissioner Finegold, who cast the only dissenting vote on the motion, expressed concern with the proposed relocation of an existing, metal electrical-panel cover.
A violation for the ratification of unapproved signage for Persona Fine Jewelry at 51 Charles St. also appeared on the hearing agenda, but that matter ultimately wasn’t heard due to the applicant’s failure to appear at the designated time.