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Board signals conceptual agreement to match approved height for 30 Caroline; asks for more design work to protect Sperry’s
Summary
Design team seeking to carry an approved taller height across 30 and 30.5 Caroline received preliminary support for height if massing and materials demonstrate the new work will not overwhelm the historic Sperry’s building; the board requested refined massing, materials, and a plan for how the addition will sit above and beside the restaurant.
Representatives from the applicant team (Dave Carr of LA Group and George Olsen of Olsen Associates) presented massing studies for a combined development on 30 and 30.5 Caroline Street that would fold the adjacent Sperry's restaurant parcel into a larger residential project above retained ground‑floor commercial. The team said they seek to continue the previously approved height from the neighboring 30 Caroline project and will pursue zoning height bonus points tied to energy-efficiency measures during the planning-board process.
Board members and members of the public — including Michelle Funicello of the Preservation Foundation — flagged concerns that the new mass could overwhelm Sperry's historic façade and recommended treating the Sperry's portion as a distinct element (for instance, increasing its mass to two stories or using contrasting materials) so the original front remains prominent. The board indicated no categorical objection to the concept height in principle but asked the applicants to return with more developed massing, material choices, and options for reducing visible slender piers and the long paved curb cut. The DRB advised the team to consider stepping and materials that keep the Sperry's façade legible and to explore a smaller multi‑story addition adjacent to Sperry's instead of a single tall parapet.
