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Planning board permits rear expansion and special permits for 278 Central Street boarding house
Summary
The Lowell City Planning Board approved June 2 a rearward expansion and special permits for 278 Central Street, allowing a nonconforming boarding house and restaurant to be rehabilitated and expanded, subject to utility, legal and signage conditions.
The Lowell City Planning Board on June 2 approved a site plan and two special permits for 278 Central Street that allow a rearward expansion of an existing building that contains a ground‑floor restaurant and 27 boarding units above.
Attorney Aiden Church, representing PCFC Park LLC, said the project will not increase overall occupancy but will add floor area through a rear addition to help the owner recoup costs from necessary structural repairs. Church told the board the building has historically housed boarding units and that a special‑permit determination is necessary because boarding units are defined differently from dwelling units under the zoning code.
The applicant requested several waivers — including landscaping, lighting and drainage details — because the proposed addition occupies most of the small lot and leaves limited space for external features. Church said the property’s uses predated current zoning and the applicant will seek a variance on floor‑area ratio from the Zoning Board of Appeals; the site was presented to the Historic Board, which issued a permit for architectural changes, the legal counsel said.
Board members asked for a full utility plan, and the board added three conditions to approvals: the applicant must submit a complete utility plan for DPD review, the city law department and engineering office must review the building’s encroachment to determine whether a city easement is required, and the applicant must install signs prohibiting parking on the adjacent 32 Church Street property (as requested in a letter from the adjacent owner and counsel).
No members of the public spoke in opposition at the hearing. The board voted unanimously to approve the site plan and both special permits — to operate a boarding house in the DMU district and to extend a preexisting nonconforming structure — subject to the conditions described. The applicant said it would file final materials and proceed with work consistent with departmental reviews and the historic‑commission approvals.
