Board rejects new roof deck in South Boston as councilor calls for complete moratorium on their construction in the neighborhood

Not long after approving a proposal for a roof deck on Worcester Street in the South End, the Zoning Board of Appeal today rejected a request for permission to build a new roof deck at 460 East 7th St. in South Boston.

The difference: Nobody opposed the South End proposal while two city councilors and neighbors said they're fed up with roof decks on the other side of Fort Point Channel.

An aide to City Councilor Michael Flaherty (at large), in fact, urged the board to simply declare a moratorium on all new roof decks in all of South Boston because of constant complaints about noise and parties. He noted that somebody fell off a roof deck after the St. Patrick's parade on Sunday, on Broadway. City Councilor Ed Flynn also opposed the proposal.

Paul McDonough, who lives on East 7th St., said he was opposed specifically to Gerald Adler's proposal on a building that already has two decks.

"We've had nothing but trouble with this landlord since he's been there," pointing to both "parties and noise all the time" on the existing decks and the constant lack of sidewalk shoveling in the winter.

The board then voted unanimously to reject the proposal.

"It sounds like there's a little bit of work you need to do with your neighbors," board Chairwoman Christine Araujo told Adler.