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Board allows expansion of preexisting parking lot at 30 LaGrange to support nearby housing conversion
Summary
The board approved a special permit to expand and formalize a preexisting nonconforming parking lot at 30 LaGrange Street to serve a nearby adaptive‑reuse housing project, subject to planning‑board parking plan review and technical conditions.
The Zoning Board of Appeals voted Aug. 10 to permit alteration and expansion of a preexisting nonconforming surface parking lot at 30 LaGrange Street, enabling the lot to serve an adjacent residential conversion at 98/100 Beacon Street.
Attorney Donald O'Neil explained the lot has a long history of informal parking use and that the applicant seeks to formalize and modernize the spaces to support up to 58 apartments at the nearby mill conversion. Planning staff (Michelle Smith) told the board the downtown CCOD overlay discourages non‑accessory surface parking but acknowledged the lot's history and the limited practical options short of a costly garage. The board approved the special permit subject to the staff conditions and a waiver requested by the applicant, with the understanding that the applicant may need to return if detailed lot reconfiguration requires additional relief.
The decision allows the applicant to proceed to planning board parking plan review and keeps conditions addressing setbacks, stormwater and dedicated resident parking.
