Zoning board approves 5‑story, 62‑unit Old Colony Ave development after drainage plan review

The Quincy Zoning Board of Appeals approved a five‑story residential development with 62 units and 98 parking spaces at 18 Old Colony Avenue on Sept. 9, 2025, after the applicant presented a subsurface stormwater chamber design intended to reduce peak runoff and store the two‑year storm event on site.

The applicant (listed as Walleston/Paulson Assets LLC in the record) described a plan to install a subsurface stormwater chamber between the proposed building and Old Colony Avenue to collect runoff from roofs and pavement. Civil engineer Carlos (Civil & Environmental Consultants) told the board the system “will store everything up to and including the two‑year storm event with no outflow,” and that peak discharge rates for larger storms would also be reduced compared with existing conditions. He provided modeled flow numbers: existing rear‑lot outflow of about 1.1 cubic feet per second (cfs) would fall to roughly 0.1 cfs under proposed conditions; 10‑year, 25‑year and 100‑year peak rates were also lowered in the model.

Board members asked whether the site ties into Quincy’s storm system; the engineer said there is no new connection to piped city drainage — most runoff today flows overland to a parking lot behind adjacent commercial properties — and the proposal reduces net outflow to downstream areas. Several board members praised the engineering work and the proposals to manage on‑site water; one said the proposal “clearly that you’re managing all your own water,” and moved to allow the petition. The board voted in favor to grant the variance and special permit for the multi‑story development.

The approval included a special permit and variances tied to the site plan and stormwater design; the applicant and engineering team will coordinate required as‑built plans and any requested details from the Department of Public Works as part of permit conditions.