Zoning Board Denies Charlestown Triplex, Invites Revised Plan

Zoning Board of Appeal · Meeting of August 11, 2026

Boston Zoning Board of Appeal sends a Charlestown triplex plan back to the drawing board after a split vote. Attorney Ryan Spitz's bid to convert 1-1H Washington Place into three townhomes fell short 4-2 on an approval motion before the board unanimously denied the application "without prejudice," inviting a revised three-unit design. Opposing counsel Ronan Karia argued undisclosed demolition scope and unresolved Boston Landmarks Commission jurisdiction warranted denial.

Separately, the board approved a contested four-unit addition at 86 Brown Avenue in Roslindale, 5-1, over objections from neighbors near the Edward Brooks School; owner Leslie Cheney said "this is our home, not an investment project by an outside developer." The board also denied, 5-1, a Kimball Street curb-cut widening in Dorchester after Planning Department staffer Jeff Hampton called the request "an excessive ask," while approving 14 other applications, including outdoor seating at Ristorante Lucia and an educational-use permit for the Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,375 words

Source: the Zoning Board of Appeal meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.