Needham — RJ Kelly Acquisition LLC told the Zoning Board of Appeals on Dec. 10 that its three-story building at 105 Cabot Street, originally constructed and permitted as a data center, cannot be repurposed under current zoning without relief and should be converted to an interior self‑storage facility.

Attorney George Junto Jr., representing the applicant, described the parcel as roughly 96,889 square feet, with an existing 128,750-square-foot building, 45 on‑site parking spaces and a layout built for computer equipment rather than regular human occupancy. He said market changes led Newmark, the broker that marketed the property, to conclude self‑storage is the highest-and-best use.

Junto told the board the planning board previously granted a special permit increasing the floor‑area ratio to 1.33, conditioned on peak‑hour vehicle trip generation remaining under 0.6 trips per 1,000 square feet; that limit, he said, effectively ties the building’s lawful existence to low trip‑generation uses. He argued that most conventional reuses (office, manufacturing, mixed use) would generate far more traffic and require hundreds of additional parking spaces that cannot be provided on the constrained site.

The applicant proposes interior renovations only — no exterior expansion, no additional doors or windows other than signage — to create roughly 800 storage units. Citing a parking‑engineer precedent from a permitted self‑storage at 540 Hillside Avenue, the applicant estimated demand for the proposed use at about 15 parking spaces, well within the existing 45 spaces.

Junto framed the request as a statutory use‑variance application and walked the board through the three prongs the board must consider: unusual circumstances related to structures or land, substantial hardship from literal enforcement, and absence of substantial detriment to the public good or to the bylaw’s purpose. He said the building’s design, lack of plumbing and limited parking meet the first two prongs and that self‑storage has been allowed elsewhere in town under limited circumstances.

Municipal reviewers cited in the hearing included the acting building commissioner, who indicated the town believes the site has adequate parking and egress for storage, and the planning board, whose letter the chair read into the record recommending approval “in this rare situation.” Town police, public health and fire officials raised no objections in the meeting’s municipal review summary.

Several board members said the reuse appears practical and low‑impact but expressed concern about the lack of clear appellate precedent tying structural constraints to granting a use variance. One member said the board had received two land court cases that were not fully on point and requested additional legal briefing and precedent so the board can justify any variance as a matter of law and local policy. The applicant agreed to prepare further support.

The board voted to continue the hearing to Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. so the applicant can provide additional legal analysis and any supplemental documentation.

What’s next: The applicant will supply further legal research and any requested clarifications; the ZBA will reconvene on Jan. 15 to consider the additional materials and testimony.