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Commission approves 430 Green St. duplex and rear‑yard variance with design concessions
Summary
After neighbor objections about light and privacy, the commission approved demolition and construction of a two‑unit building at 430 Green Street and granted a rear‑yard variance with conditions to reduce rooftop mechanical massing, lower the fourth‑floor height to 10 feet, replace the stair penthouse with a hatch and add privacy screening; vote 5–2.
Planning staff described a proposal to demolish a one‑unit building at 430 Green Street and construct a four‑story duplex with a basement parking space, requiring a rear‑yard variance because of the undersized lot and tight block context.
Sponsor John Kevlin said the project would create a multigenerational family home and a separate rental unit, include an elevator for aging family members and provide rear decks; neighbors opposed the depth, shadowing and loss of light to adjacent units (Connie Ng and others).
Staff and the zoning administrator recommended discretionary review because the variance would be significant in a very tight context. Commissioners negotiated a set of conditions intended to reduce visual massing and privacy impacts: replacing a stair penthouse with a hatch, reducing the 4th‑floor floor‑to‑floor height to 10 feet (reducing overall building height by about 1'4"), minimizing mechanical equipment above the elevator shaft, and adding frosted or translucent screening above 42‑inch railings on rear decks. Sponsor agreed to explore these adjustments and screening.
On a motion to approve the project with those conditions the commission voted 5–2; Commissioners Williams and Moore voted no. The zoning administrator said he would grant the variance with the same conditions.
