The Columba/Savin Hill Civic Association on Monday evening voted to grant preliminary conditional approval to the latest proposal for the Crescent Court Project, a conversion of the R & R Sales building on Dorchester Ave. into residential properties.

Brian DeVillis of NHL Developments, the project developer, presented an updated plan at the association's monthly meeting. A previous plan called for 64 units with a total of 124 bedrooms. In response to concerns from the association, NHL pared down the number of total units and total bedrooms. The plans now call for the space to be converted into 58 residential units, all studio and one-bedroom apartments. Sixty-one parking spaces - 43 surface and 18 below-grade are included.

The BRA previously recommended that a 1400-sq.-foot space on the first floor be devoted to commercial space, but on Monday residents voted in favor of that space being residential and expanding the complex's community room.

A copy of the proposal is available for viewing at the Little House, on East Cottage St., and the BRA is accepting public comments on the proposal until Nov. 18. A BRA vote on the project is expected Dec. 1, and then would be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals. DeVillis said demolition work on the space would not begin until all required approval was received, and expected to begin construction in February.

As reported in the Reporter two weeks ago, the Savin Hill MBTA station will be the first station on the Red Line to be equipped with the new automated fair collection system. Installation of the new system is expected to begin this month and end by February said Jamie Jackson, deputy director of design and construction with the MBTA. Once the new fair collection system is installed, the station's Sydney Street entrance, which has been used only for egress since the station opened in August, will open as an entrance, said Jackson. By July of 2006, all remaining Red Line stations will have the automated fair collection system, said Jackson.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Columbia/Savin Hill Civic Association Monday evening, Jackson added that by the end of the month, the MBTA expects to lay down a base course to make the Sydney Street parking lot at the station useable with the paving project completed in the spring.