By Phil Orlandella
The North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) at its Thursday, December 12 monthly meeting voted 16-1 to oppose a request by Peter Alfe, trustee 97 Salem Street to change the legal occupancy of the property from retail/office to bakery/retail on the first floor and five residential units in the building.
The proposal included erecting a four-story vertical addition with a building height of 66.5 feet and two private roof decks.
Residents and abutters expressed many issues with the project including the height addition (area code is 55 feet) light and air, off street parking and other concerns that they felt had a negative experience on the neighborhood.
The new City of Boston Zoning Department manager Edwin Villafane attended the meeting and discussed his role and areas of focus for community engagement in the North End.