Quincy — The Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 28 approved four residential proposals with conditions, accepted one withdrawal and continued two hearings after design and neighbor concerns. Chairman Marty Akins presided over the meeting.

The board approved a reduced rear addition and related site changes at 130 Willow St. (case ZBA 2459), granted modifications for the porch and shed at 87 Dorchester St. (ZBA 2477), allowed a third-floor addition at 122–124 Hannon Circle with requirements to remove an existing garage and use pavers for new parking (ZBA 2486), and reauthorized a previously approved single-family design at 166 Bassett St. (ZBA 2482). The board also accepted a withdrawal for 115 Newbury Ave. (ZBA 2449) and continued hearings for multiple cases, including the enclosure-of-balconies matter at 1 Edwin St. (ZBA 2455) and a design revision for a third-floor request at 170 Rota St. (ZBA 2466), both reset to return Feb. 11.

Why it matters: several approvals included conditions meant to limit added impervious surface and reduce neighborhood impacts; neighbors said flooding history and visual scale remain community concerns in several cases.

What the board heard and decided

130 Willow St. (ZBA 2459): Architect Jim Chen told the board his client reduced the proposed rear addition to 20 feet in depth, removed lower-level garage parking, and will retain two exterior parking spaces. Chen said the revised dwelling would be about "2,425 square feet." A nearby owner, who identified himself as Jonas of 134 Willow St., said the neighborhood sits in a flood zone and already uses basement mitigation systems; he urged the board to limit added impervious surface because "we already have mitigation systems in our basement" and asked where stormwater would go. The DPW review (read into the record) requested submission of impervious-area calculations, grading and utility plans, and elevation certificates if in the flood zone. The board approved the application with conditions that the final 10 feet of the driveway be paved with pavers, the exposed front concrete be remediated with an aesthetically appropriate material and the applicant submit the DPW-requested information. The motion carried with the board answering "Aye."

170 Rota St. (ZBA 2466): The board continued the hearing after an extended design discussion. Architect Andres Bernal and others presented revisions intended to make a proposed three-story addition read as a 2½-story house through added gable and dormer expressions. Board members repeatedly asked for work on the left-side elevation, noting a large existing chimney and a flat wall that makes the structure appear three stories from the street. The board asked the applicant to return Feb. 11 with further revisions showing options such as raised knee walls, added dormers or continued eave expression across the side elevations.

122–124 Hannon Circle (ZBA 2486): Attorney Patrick Foley said the owners sought a third story to accommodate a growing household while keeping the same number of bedrooms city records show. The board approved the third-floor addition with conditions that the garage be removed, the new parking area be constructed with pavers (not new asphalt), and the deck understructure proposed for enclosure remain enclosed for a workshop rather than conditioned living space. The file shows strong neighborhood opposition on grounds of existing nonconformity and intensity; one opponent read a detailed tally of FAR and square-footage numbers and argued the addition would further reduce neighbors' sunlight and privacy. Several board members said they weighed the unchanged bedroom count and added off-street parking when voting.

87 Dorchester St. (ZBA 2477): Christopher Barber and his team described converting a previous two-family back to single-family and adding a two-story front deck plus a small unconditioned shed at the rear. The board approved the proposal after the DPW indicated no comments.

166 Bassett St. (ZBA 2482): Architect Carlos Caraballo presented a previously approved single-family design whose approval had lapsed; the board reinstated the plan while listing DPW conditions including a sidewalk water-service shutoff box, grading plans for any grade changes, sewer cleanout, and as-built plans and digital files on completion.

115 Newbury Ave. (ZBA 2449): The applicant withdrew the petition to convert a single-family dwelling to a two-family dwelling; the board recorded a formal withdrawal motion and voted to accept it.

Hearings continued or rescheduled: 1 Edwin St. (ZBA 2455) — enclosure of three balconies — was continued to Feb. 11 after the applicant did not appear; the board also moved the 170 Rota St. rehearing to Feb. 11.

Votes at a glance

- ZBA 2459 (130 Willow St.) — Approved with conditions: DPW submissions required; last 10 feet of driveway to be pavers; exposed front concrete to be remediated. Outcome: approved (board responded "Aye").
- ZBA 2466 (170 Rota St.) — Continued for redesign (return Feb. 11, 2025). Outcome: continued.
- ZBA 2449 (115 Newbury Ave.) — Applicant withdrew petition to convert to two-family. Outcome: withdrawal accepted.
- ZBA 2477 (87 Dorchester St.) — Approved (two-story deck and rear shed). Outcome: approved.
- ZBA 2486 (122–124 Hannon Circle) — Approved with conditions: garage to be removed; new parking to be pavers; under-deck space may be enclosed for workshop only. Outcome: approved.
- ZBA 2482 (166 Bassett St.) — Approved (reinstatement of prior single-family approval) with DPW conditions. Outcome: approved.
- ZBA 2455 (1 Edwin St.) — Hearing extended to Feb. 11, 2025. Outcome: continued.

What remains next: Several cases return Feb. 11 with requested design revisions or outstanding DPW materials; applicants must provide the requested engineering, grading and impervious-area documentation where DPW requested it. Neighborhood concerns about flood risk and sunlight/privacy were a recurring theme and prompted the board to attach conditions limiting added impervious surface or requiring pavers where new parking is added.

Quotes

"I have a motion to accept," Chairman Marty Akins said as the board moved multiple items to votes.

Architect Jim Chen described the Willow Street revision as "reduced" and noted the project removed lower-level garage parking to reduce building height.

Neighbor Jonas of 134 Willow Street said, "We already have mitigation systems in our basement," and asked how additional runoff would be handled.

Attorney Patrick Foley framed the Hannon Circle request as housing to accommodate a growing family and said the addition "will not trigger any new variances" for height or stories under the applicable residential zoning category, while the board recorded public opposition on density and FAR grounds.

Ending

The board's decisions added site-specific conditions aimed at limiting new impervious area and requiring aesthetic remediation in a few approvals. Several applicants were told to return with further drawings and DPW responses before final sign-off.