BZA approves dormer and porch modifications at 3 Myrtle Avenue with conditions

The Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals on Sept. 26 approved a special permit for exterior alterations at 3 Myrtle Avenue that will add a third‑floor dormer to bring a stair head height into compliance and convert an existing two‑family layout into a single‑family home.

Designer Elena Roseto told the board the project removes a previously approved first‑floor addition, extends the front porch, finishes the basement (counted now because the property is in a floodplain) and adds a dormer so interior stair head height meets code. “I— yours my name is Elena Roseto. I— I— I'm the designer for this project,” she said while walking through the plans. Homeowner Martin Wartek said the team had a “really good dialogue with the historical commission” and had scaled back the earlier bump‑out and tried to incorporate some of the conservation commission—s suggestions on materials and window sizing.

Board members noted a nonbinding denial from the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation Commission in the file, which had found the proposed alterations inconsistent with the historic character of the streetscape. The board voted 4–1 to grant the special permit, with members finding the application met the criteria of section 10.43, but attached a condition requiring the applicant to submit a revised calculation confirming the average grade and building height (the file currently lists 34.4 feet) to ensure the window well does not push the average height above the advertised figure. The chair read the motion and criteria into the record and recorded votes: Steven Ng, Virginia Keesler, Zaria Miranda and Daniel Hidalgo voted in favor; Jim Monteverdi opposed.