A Linden Street resident who wants to replace a single-family ranch home at 61 Linden St. with a three-story, six-unit building received mixed reviews at the Fields Corner Civic Association (FCCA) meeting on Nov. 1.

Phoebe Nguyen, of 52 Linden St., presented the plan along with My Lam last week following a meeting several months ago at which three abutters spoke up in opposition to the plan.

Since then, Lam said, they have brought on a new architect and are showcasing an improved product for the site in an area that is zoned for two-family homes with 5,000-square-foot lots. The revision features seven spaces in a backyard asphalt parking lot that would be accessed by a 12.5-foot driveway and side balconies that overlook neighboring properties.

“They have been in the neighborhood ten years, and they are first-time developers,” said Lam. “This is an opportunity for them to build in their neighborhood and community and improve the streetscape. These will be owners who are neighbors as well and so it won’t be an outside developer or manager coming in.”

Lam added that his client intended to rent the units to family members at market rate but would consider some affordable units. “She expects to have a lot of family coming into the neighborhood and she wanted to help them by having rentals to help them with the transition,” he said.

Lam said that the building wasn’t going to be like a “skyscraper” that would put a lot of shadow on the neighborhood. The immediate abutting property is also a small single-story ranch home, and that owner had not yet been contacted by Nguyen about the project. Other homes on the block are two-story homes or three-deckers.

Kevin Tran, Mayor Wu’s liaison to Fields Corner, noting the negative position of three abutters at the earlier meeting, said that one of the issues that came up was poor sanitation and caretaking of the property at 52 Linden St.

“I think a lot of that is very subjective,” said Lam. “The owners try to keep their building clean, and everybody will complain it’s not clean enough. The abutters will have to speak to that.”

One did, Peggie Flynn of Leedsville Street, who said the proposed building was just too tall and too big for the lot.

FCCA President Jim Doyle, noting that the building would be a major change for the street, said he wanted to see a better green space plan. “As it stands now, there’s pretty much no green space,” he said. “The whole back is almost all parking lot.”

Others chimed in. Vivian Girard said he feels it an efficient use of space for housing but thinks there is too much asphalt in the plan and he was “not cool with that.” Tran Le stressed that the proponents needed to come up with a detailed trash plan to address sanitation and rodents prior to any construction.

City liaison Tran said that he would schedule another abutters meeting, given the changes to the original plan.

New eatery nears opening

Junior and Vivian Pena are close to the finish line on their full-service Vietnamese sandwich shop and bakery, the first such offering in the immediate Fields Corner area in many years.

The restaurant is located in the former Cahill Real Estate building at 1544 Dorchester Ave. The Penas, who have been part of the Fields Corner business community for 15 years, received a glowing recommendation from Main Streets Director Jackey West Devine. The zoning change for a new use at the site has been approved and the owners are now seeking a common victuallers license from the Boston Licensing Board.

Junior Pena noted that contractor scheduling and delays have played a big part in the challenges to get the shop ready, but they expect to be open before the end of the year.

The FCCA fully backs the licensing bid after supporting the zoning change earlier this year. The eatery will have seating for 17 people and a take-out option.

New library meeting set
The BPL has scheduled for Nov. 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. the first community Zoom meeting to discuss preliminary plans for the new branch library that is slated to be built out in the coming years. Things have on hold during the pandemic. The process is ready to proceed to the next level with Oudens Ello Architects.