In a close vote of 5-4, the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) narrowly supported a zoning proposal by Michelle Holdings LLC for a redevelopment of 55-57 North Washington Street. The first floor of the building houses a portion of Joe Tecce’s Ristorante, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection.
The new owner of 55-57 N. Washington St., Michelle Holdings LLC, has filed an appeal with the City of Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeals seeking zoning relief to change the legal occupancy of the building from a restaurant and 12 residential units to a restaurant and 16 residential units. The plans include the conversion of the existing second floor dining/function room into 4 residential units.
The video above shows the July 11, 2011 presentation by the applicant and his attorney, Daniel Toscano, along with the discussion and vote by the Neighborhood Council members. Several council members identified concerns with inadequate trash disposal at Tecce’s Restaurant and a unkempt dumpster area on the property. Photos were distributed at the meeting, including the one shown below:
In other business, NEWNC unanimously supported zoning relief at 162 Endicott Street and a take-out license for El Triunfo Restaurant at 69 Prince Street. A presentation by Boston Bikes for a North End bike lane was also heard by the council, identifying a change in the plan that will now remove 15-20 residential parking spaces rather than the 5-10 initially proposed. More on these issues in upcoming posts.
More information on the Neighborhood Council can be found at NEWNCBoston.org.
