Property developer Anton Cela, of Quincy, filed an application with the city's planning board to build the structure at 10 Independence Ave., currently the site of an autobody shop. Preliminary designs show retail space on the first floor, nine condominiums on the upper three floors, and 23 parking spaces, mostly to the rear of the building. The total size of the lot is 10,973 square feet.
Cela said he will try to eliminate the commercial space on the first floor, which neighbors, including [Superintendent of the Adams birthplace national historic site, across the street] Peak, criticized for the lack of parking to support it. Asked if he would compromise on the height and dimensions, he said, "We're staying with the four stories."
The plans would require variances from certain zoning requirements. For residential buildings with nine units, the city requires a minimum lot size of 45,000 square feet, far more than the property's 10,973 square feet.
The lack of any setbacks in the front and sides of the building would violate the 250-foot minimum required under the ordinance, according to the project application.
Buildings in the district are limited to three stories, while Cela intends to build four. Ward 2 Councilor Richard Ash, in whose ward the property sits, told The Patriot Ledger that because of the building's height, shade studies may be required to determine whether the building would block the sunlight, leaving the historical sites across the street in shadow.
Another zoning requirement sets a minimum of 1,000 square feet of open space per unit. The submitted plans would include 161 square feet per unit, the application says.
Ash said that on the night after the public hearing, he hosted a "spirited" community meeting at McKay's restaurant attended by about 100 people. He said neighbors and business owners voiced concerns about a lack of street parking, a problem that has grown worse in recent years as the neighborhood has become more densely populated and developed.
