ZBA finds it lacks jurisdiction in appeal over six‑unit redevelopment at 1280 Middlesex St.

The Lowell City Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 13 voted that it did not have jurisdiction to hear an administrative appeal challenging a building permit for redevelopment at 1280 Middlesex Street, finding the appeal was not timely.

Attorney Christopher Alphen, representing appellant Mark J. Carabini, told the board his client’s argument rests on two points: that the building’s prior six‑unit use was a grandfathered, nonconforming right that was extinguished after two years of nonuse (he cited “section 456” of the zoning ordinance), and that the structure’s dimensions and lot area would require separate zoning relief rather than a straight building permit. Alphen said records show the property was vacant after a 2017 boiler failure and a Board of Health vacancy order…