25-27 Perkins Street
At a glance
- What: definitive site plan (PB-2026-026) plus an Inclusionary Zoning special permit to replace a three-story, 3-unit house with a five-story, 23-unit building (5 affordable) and 25 garage spaces.
- Where it stands: Planning Board closed the hearing and approved both the site plan and the special permit 5-0 on 2026-08-26 (per auto-captions), after two neighbors objected.
- Next: decision filed with the city clerk about a week later, then a 20-day appeal window; engineer-stamped retaining wall plans before the building permit.
The request
- IZ special permit for relief from off-street parking/loading, parking dimensional and landscaping requirements (Article VII, Section 6.A.ii).
The proposal
- Demolish the existing three-story, three-unit house for a five-story, 23-unit building (1-3 bedrooms); 5 affordable units; 25 spaces in two garage levels cut into a steep slope, accessed by two Perkins Street curb cuts, with a rear patio over the garage.
- Parking: 46 required; 6 off for 15% affordable and 10 off for the transportation plan; special permit for the final 5 (and a loading space).
- Bike parking about 25 (10 outside, 15 inside); stair to Westminster Street; stormwater in three buried chamber systems; lighting kept under half a foot-candle at the patio property line; retaining walls 4 feet or lower.
Neighbor concerns and responses
- Upslope owners of 29-31 Perkins Street (family 80+ years): structural risk to their 136-year-old house, loss of view and privacy, noise, trash, hydrants and sewer capacity. Applicant: wall near their line removed, building about 30 feet away, they can arrange inspections before and after, trash room inside, DPW satisfied on 8-inch water main.
- Resident at 26 Perkins Street: loss of historic character, garage entrances facing her house, visitor parking, construction on a steep street, "transient" tenants. Applicant: one space per unit plus two visitor spaces.
- Board: review is limited to site plan criteria and the parking permit; supportive of housing and lower parking minimums.
Status and next steps
- Approved 5-0 on 2026-08-26 per auto-captions, with staff conditions including assigned spaces, extra street-side plantings and engineer-stamped plans for the retaining walls.
- Appeal: special permit has a 20-day appeal period once filed with the clerk; staff advised neighbors to contact the Planning Division and consider an attorney.
Discussion time
About 42 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-08-26 - Planning Board | 42 |
Log
- 2026-08-26 - Planning Board - Hearing and approval, 5-0. Engineer Jacob Lemieux (Hancock Associates) and architect Raphael Hernandez presented; staff (Stephen Cary) said garage turning, infiltration-near-wall and tree issues were resolved. Neighbors at 29-31 and 26 Perkins Street objected (history, scale, slope and structural risk, parking, driveway traffic, transient tenants). Board noted the building is largely as-of-right; added assigned parking, more Westminster Street plantings and a stamped retaining-wall plan condition. A neighbor asked how to appeal.
- 2026-08-05 - Planning Board - Postponed to August 26 on the batch motion (4-0); constructive grant deadline extended to September 17. No discussion.