Occupancy Change at 20 Moon St. Tabled at Neighborhood Council on Roof Deck and AirBnb Concerns [Video]

The property owner of 20 Moon Street, Jonathan Raisz, is petitioning the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) to change the legal occupancy of the existing building from one commercial / four residential to a five unit residential dwelling. The proposal would make the garden level unit residential, which is currently zoned as commercial. The application was heard at the June 2018 meeting of the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC).

Two additional decks are proposed, one as a roof deck on top of the fourth floor and the other for the first floor unit. Both would be for the private use of specified units. Construction would include the decks and the renovation of the garden level unit. The building would remain at four stories, plus the new roof deck.

An abutter at 23 Fleet Street spoke strongly against the proposed roof deck, which would be 20 feet from her living room window. She believes the roof deck would violate Board of Appeals guidelines for zoning variances and be especially detrimental to quality of life of abutting units.

The abutter also cited active Airbnb use at 20 Moon Street. During the meeting, council member Tania Green confirmed online that 20 Moon Street is an active Airbnb building operated by an absentee landlord.

Given the lack of appearance by the property owner and the abutter concerns noted, the council tabled the petition so that the proponent could work with the abutting residents before returning with its application.

Ed note: 20 Moon Street is next to the 5+ story, single-family, new construction at 16 Moon Street. This application is separate from that project with a different owner.