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Lynn Zoning Board of Appeals approves three permits, continues one case and accepts a withdrawal
Summary
At its Sept. 16 meeting the Lynn Zoning Board of Appeals granted a special permit for 37 Falls Street, accepted withdrawal of a Lynnfield Street application, continued Maple Street to Oct. 7, and approved Valley Ave and 90 Bolton Street with stipulations on parking, removal of unpermitted work and landscaping.
The Lynn Zoning Board of Appeals met Sept. 16 at City Hall and took final action on several residential zoning petitions, approving three items, continuing one matter for further review and accepting the withdrawal of another.
The board granted a special permit for 37 Falls Street to homeowners Jaime Munoz and Jocelyn Ramirez, who told the board they plan to add a full second floor, enclose the front porch for a home office and extend the rear of the house to create a master suite while keeping the exterior footprint generally aligned with neighboring properties. Jaime Munoz said the work would keep the structure within the 35‑foot height limit and make the house “more livable,” and the board approved the permit by roll call vote.
Attorney AJ Capano asked the board to withdraw without prejudice the application for 232–234 Lynnfield Street after receiving neighborhood feedback and consulting with Councilor Meany. Capano requested that the filing fee be returned minus advertising costs; the board approved the withdrawal.
The board continued the Maple Street petition (Maple Street Realty Trust), represented by Attorney Lisa McGloin, to its next meeting on Oct. 7 to allow members time to review revised drawings that were submitted the same day and to seek a fire department review of egress and sprinkler questions. McGloin and the trustee said the plan would rehabilitate existing third‑floor space into a separate unit and noted that the stair and roofline are existing.
For 13 Valley Avenue (Orellana Investment LLC), Attorney AJ Capano described a rebuilt three‑family—reconstructed after a fire and issued a certificate of occupancy in December 2024—and asked for permission to add a basement unit. Capano said the building is “fully sprinklered” and that the basement would have emergency egress through window wells. Board members pressed the applicant for a clearer parking plan (the applicant’s materials show room for six vehicles) and asked for a landscape and trash/snow‑removal plan; the board approved the special permit with stipulations requiring an updated parking layout, a landscape plan and mitigation measures and confirmation of any affordable‑housing in‑lieu payment calculations.
On 90 Bolton Street, the petitioner proposed converting a single‑family structure to a two‑family dwelling, removing an unpermitted rear roof/cover, adding exterior stairs and meeting dimensional variance requirements (including impervious lot coverage). The petitioner’s attorney acknowledged the unpermitted roof and said it would be removed; the board moved to grant subject to stipulated conditions to remove the unpermitted work, satisfy parking requirements and provide a landscaping/mitigation plan and approved the motion by roll call.
Board members cited recurring concerns across cases about parking layouts, landscaping/impervious coverage and the need to verify fire and egress compliance before final action. When applicants proposed in‑lieu payments instead of on‑site affordable units, the board asked for explicit calculations from city staff and the applicants. The meeting adjourned after final votes.
Next steps: Maple Street was continued to the board’s next meeting on Oct. 7; the approved permits will move forward subject to the stated stipulations and any required building‑department approvals.
