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Board grants site plan approval for three‑unit building at 142 Henry Street with conditions
Summary
The board moved to approve a three‑unit residential site plan for 142 Henry Street with a list of conditions including transformer screening, a dedicated street tree and streetlight, retaining‑wall planting, and identification of protected trees; final administrative sign‑off to follow.
The Planning Board reviewed a site plan for a three‑unit residential building proposed for 142 Henry Street (adjacent to the Modern condominium). The applicant, LA Group, presented a stepped building that fits the sloped lot and provides three garage spaces on multiple levels with three residential units above.
Project description and constraints
The parcel is constrained by topography: the site drops roughly 20 feet between Henry Street and Bank Alley, and a National Grid transformer and related easement encumber the property near the mid‑slope. The proposed design steps the building into the slope: a first‑floor unit with garage and porch facing Henry, two mid/upper units accessed from a driveway off Bank Alley, and a mix of retaining walls varying from about 2 to 4 feet to create usable terraces and maintain stability.
Board comments and conditions
Board members generally supported the concept and characterized the proposal as a positive infill project for an underused, stone‑covered lot. The principal technical concerns and items the board asked the applicant to address were:
- Transformer screening and easement coordination: the applicant must document coordination with National Grid and show screening, a retaining solution and any easement modifications required to support a retaining wall next to electrical equipment.
- Streetscape elements: the board asked the applicant to show an appropriately placed street tree and at least one streetlight along the Henry Street frontage, subject to DPW approval and location constraints caused by a water main in the park strip.
- Retaining wall planting: the applicant will provide planting plans for the retaining walls and any exposed wall faces to soften the appearance in the public view.
- Tree protection and species sizing: the applicant will identify and label significant existing trees that will be retained, and the board requested minimum caliper for new street trees (applicant agreed to city standard or a two‑inch DBH minimum on their property).
Administrative path and finalization
The board agreed the proposal is eligible for site plan approval and directed staff to compile a checklist of remaining technical items. The board voted to approve the site plan with the list of conditions and authorized further administrative review and DPW sign‑offs (including streetlight/tree placement and any required easement adjustments). No environmental Type I issues were identified; the project was characterized as standard site plan review in the transcript. The board asked staff to prepare a final decision document incorporating the conditions and to work with DPW and the applicant for administrative sign‑off.
