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Owners of unusual California-style house on Comm. Ave. in Brighton propose renovations - and six-story apartment building right behind it
By adamg on Tue, 12/17/2024 - 4:44pm
Rendering by Davis Square Architects.
The owners of an unusual "mission style" stucco three-family house sandwiched between two Brighton-style apartment buildings at 1954 Commonwealth Ave. have filed plans to move the building closer to the sidewalk, reconfigure it for six apartments and build a six-story, 20-unit building right behind it.
The house, built roughly in 1910 with a terra-cotta tile roof, when such houses were more popular in Brighton but is today one of the last remaining examples of the style in the neighborhood.
The exterior of the current house, which "currently suffers from extensive staining, mildew, and cracks," with be replicated and replaced, according to a filing with the Boston Planning Department. "Broken or missing tiles will be replaced with tiles saved from the garage or, if there are not enough, with new tiles to match the existing."
The Yu Investment Trust of West Roxbury has been trying since 2015 to come up with a proposal that would keep the historic house on the site while letting it build more housing units. The trust bought the building in 2004.
In total, the proposal for the roughly one-third-acre lot calls for five studios, seven one-bedroom units and fourteen two-bedroom units. Four the apartments would be rented to people making no more than 70% of the Boston area median income.
The proposal calls for nine parking spaces and storage room for 32 bicycles - 6 of those for visitors.
1954 Commonwealth Ave. filings and meeting/comment schedule.
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Comments
I'm not an architect, but
I'm not an architect, but that looks hideous.
It's a cool & quirky mission building. They should either be allowed to add on in the same style (but not as big as proposed) or bulldoze and have a larger apartment building.
The drawing looks like the mission building is the entrance to a country club/hotel behind it.
You really think so?
I think its fairly attractive.
It seems to incorporate elements of the mission/California style. With that darker terra cotta color and similar windows as the pre-existing building. Looks like the roof might be slightly pitched too.
I think this building would fit in in Chestnut Hilll/JP, and apparently the Brighton of old.
Ever been to the West Coast?
This sort of thing is not uncommon - and not necessarily recent.
Kind of looks like...
...this...?
https://youtu.be/1TO48Cnl66w?si=VLZYyboI7aFm1BYv
For a split
For a split second I thought that link would send you to a 1980s Taco Bell commercial.
Old Taco Bells look similar to this building. This build even has a drive thru for British Drivers (because its on the right)
Is this building a historic
Is this building a historic landmark that can't be torn down, or is it loaded with asbestos or something? I can't image why an investor would want to move it and not just replace it with a box full of apartments.
Finally someone who respects
Finally someone who respects and makes an effort to preserve craftsmanship and detail that has now become rare in building things now. But the thing in the back is like putting a velvet Elvis painting next to a Monet.
Just how "historic" is it?
Seems like they are bending over backwards to, kind of, save this house. If it's not really all that historic, knock it down and put up a tower.
32 bike spots
will be used to store maybe 6 bikes, a couple of trash barrels, snow shovels and a recycle bin. The remaining space will be converted to much needed parking spaces once the building is signed off.
Plural?
Believe it or not, you can store 32 bikes in not very much space! Each bike is about 3x5, so 15 square feet. A car parking space takes up about 240 square feet. So 32 bikes spaces = 2 car spaces. Since you say there will be some bikes and other stuff, I believe it would be a much need space, not multiple spaces.
Curious place
I've often wondered how places like this survive when all else around them change. What was the circumstance that allowed this one to stay and avoid progress or revitalization? There are a number of places like this in and around Boston.
Unlike the rendering, the
Unlike the rendering, the actual houses around it in Google Street View look more like apartments from the 1930s or 40s.
And why did they remove the driveway in the rendering if they're planning on 9 vehicle parking spots?
No wonder they can't get approval.