To the Editor:

It’s very depressing that the same developers who were denied permission for their construction of 1813 Dorchester Ave. by the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal a couple of years ago have resubmitted essentially the same plan again. Not a single thing that the community wanted is being offered.

So, no surprise then, that this proposal is still objectionable to us - for the same reasons as before.  At 4 floors, the building will be taller than the code allows; the proposed 26 units, plus a commercial space, are way too dense for the size of the lot; only 4 units out of 26 are affordable; and, our biggest concern has not been addressed, as there is no provision for parking in the plan! 

This is a neighborhood where most homes do not have driveways, so all of us have to fight for parking on the street, and each year there are increasing numbers of cars on the streets. This already poses an extraordinary hardship for people, especially for the elderly and those with reduced mobility.

In the winter, many people don’t dare to leave their homes out of fear they will lose their parking spot. I am 77 years old and am speaking from experience. In such a neighborhood, constructing a building with 26 units, plus a retail space on the ground floor, without supplying any parking, is unacceptable planning. It goes against the whole principle of proper zoning. The problem can be easily solved by providing ground floor parking for cars in the building. 

Zero parking is an important reason why this planned development needs to be denied again by the Zoning Board of Appeal. Otherwise, residents of an abutter street will all suffer greatly. 

Hayat Imam
Dorchester