Applicant for indoor meeting space at Dudley Plaza asked to return with floor plan and code analysis

Vinicius Machado asked the Zoning Board of Appeals on April 7 for a special permit to operate an indoor meeting space at 615 Boston Post Road, Suite 120 (Dudley Plaza). The board told Machado to return on May 12 with additional documentation showing how many people the space can legally hold, the bathroom and parking capacity, and a floor plan showing how the space will be arranged.

Machado described Maple Tree Ballroom as a community meeting venue for homeowners’ association meetings, business networking events, small family gatherings and similar daytime or early-evening uses. He said the unit contains two bathrooms, a kitchenette sink and exits to the shared parking lot and that he expects smaller gatherings (typically under 30 people) though he asked the board whether 30 would be permissible.

Building Inspector Andrew Lewis and Planning Department staff advised the board that an architect or design professional must prepare a code summary and occupancy calculation based on floor area and arrangement (fixed chairs, tables, open floor) so the building code and plumbing/board-of-health requirements can be applied. Planning staff said the change of use may not require a planning-board site-plan review because the prior tenant used the space for assembly, but emphasized that plumbing fixture counts, exits and parking capacity must still be verified.

The board continued the hearing to May 12, 2025, to allow Machado to provide a scaled floor plan, an occupancy/code summary from a licensed design professional, and a statement about available parking; the board noted hours and the conditions of use can be set when those details are known.

Chair Frank Reap said the board would accommodate a timely rescheduling if the applicant could not meet the May date, and advised Machado to coordinate drafts and the Zoom link through staff.