Owner, attorney describe plan to rebuild fire‑damaged Arlington Street two‑family; board questions parking and egress

A petitioner seeking to reconstruct a fire‑damaged two‑family at 20‑8 Arlington Street described plans to restore the building while finishing the attic and basement, but Zoning Board of Appeals members pressed for additional detail about parking, bedroom counts and emergency egress.

Attorney Hussain Vitale, representing the applicant, said the proposal would rebuild the structure on the existing footprint and finish the attic and basement; he asked the board to find under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 6 that the alterations would not be substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood than the prior nonconforming use. “I would suggest to you that it’s not at all detrimental,” Vitale said, noting the building would remain a two‑family dwelling despite interior changes.

Board members asked whether the work would change bedroom counts and therefore parking requirements, noting Lynn’s current standard of 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit. Vitale replied that the existing pre‑April 1964 use previously had no parking requirement but that a change could trigger modern parking standards. Members also queried whether all bedrooms would meet building‑code egress and ceiling‑height requirements; the applicant said the plans show required egress and seven‑foot ceilings where applicable and that the building department would enforce code requirements.

The transcript does not record a final vote or formal action on the Arlington Street petition during the March 4 meeting. Board members asked for clarifications, including whether finishing the attic and basement would change occupancy, and discussed the need for any required inspections and permits.