The North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) voted 30-4 to oppose a petition to build a fourth floor addition and private roof deck at 2 Snelling Place at their March meeting.
Attorney Dan Toscano presented on behalf of Bharat Mirchadini, who was not at the meeting and does not currently reside at the property. The proposal is to extend the living space for the first floor unit at 2 Snelling Place, located just off of Hull Street, into the basement and to add a one-story addition to unit three, creating a duplex apartment for the owner with a private roof deck.
The property would remain a three-family residence with the first floor unit becoming two levels with an interior stairwell to the basement. The unit would be a 2-bedroom, 2-bath with approximately 800 square feet of living space. Unit two would be remodeled but remain the same – 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 450 square feet. Unit three would become two levels and would be a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, with a fourth-floor patio. The proposed private roof deck would be 160 square feet and set back 9 feet from the edge of the building. The roof would be accessed by an interior stairway in unit three. In total, the construction would increase the height of the building from between 33 – 35 feet to between 43 – 45 feet.
The design is meant to mimic an addition to 3 Snelling Place that has already been approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, but has not been constructed to date.
Abutter Michael Aquilino presented his family’s opposition to the project (8:30 in video), based primarily on the loss of light, air and space. He said the 4th floor addition at 2 Snelling Place would put his residence into a “valley” between the higher buildings on each side. Concerns were also raised about an absentee owner, and an addition that will create shadows, take away ventilation and raise privacy concerns over abutting skylight windows.
The building will be fully sprinkled and the second means of egress will be a fire escape. There is no fire escape on the fourth floor, which is the second floor of unit three. Attorney Toscano said that an escape is not required there.
Watch the full presentation in the video above with Q&A starting at the 7:30 minute mark. NEWRA joins the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) in opposing the proposal. Both NEWRA and NEWNC votes are advisory to city officials at the Zoning Board of Appeals that will make the final determination.
