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Residential building with lots of bicycle storage could replace vacant lot on Bowdoin Street in Dorchester
By adamg on Fri, 02/18/2022 - 1:55pm
Rendering by Vanko Studio Architects.
Shanti Acquisition has proposed a 35-unit residential building on what is now a vacant lot at 120 Bowdoin St., next to the Star 50 market at the intersection with Geneva Avenue in Dorchester.
All of the units in the $8-million, five-story building would have one bedroom. Five would be rented as affordable. The filing does not specify if they would be rented as apartments or sold as condos.
Shanti's owners, Solmon and Rokeya Chowdhury of Dorchester, who split their time between restaurants and development, are proposing space for 117 bicycles - or more than three for every unit. A garage would also have room for three electric vehicles, but none for gas-powered vehicles. The Zoning Board of Appeal would have to grant a variance, because the zoning for the 11,000-square-foot lot would otherwise require 53 car parking spaces.
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Comments
You know what would be awesome?
An indoor hose in the bike parking area. It would be *fantastic* to be able to rinse off the salt. It's a real nuisance that the time of year I want to hose off my bike is the same time of year I can't have a working outdoor faucet.
Pro tip
Get one of those 1-5 gallon pump sprayers used to water planters. They are perfect for pin point spraying off the crud and eliminate the need for a hose.
Oooh, good idea
Those are lightly pressurized, right? And a narrow jet of water would help get the mixed ice/salt mixture off better.
Currently we just keep a jug of water inside the basement door to bring out and pour over the worst parts, but it's not very effective.
Access to secure and easily accessible…
… storage is rare in Boston. Not having it prevents people from getting out of cars and onto bikes. It’s one of the major problems cyclists and would be cyclists face in the city. Particularly if you ride a heavy upright or electric bike. More buildings like this are needed.
Star 50 Market
I'm surprised that a grocery store can get away with having that name, given its similarity to a well-known large local chain.
meanwhile
Its a sad day that a variance is required to ditch the car requirement. You'd think somewhere, someone would say "hey, let's make it attractive not to have parking, and have more green buldings" so lets give them the automatic green light.
But no.. we're Boston. We can't get out of our own way.
A recent report suggests that high tides will flood most of downtown and the seaport due to climate change.
And we're still giving priority to the single most thing that causes climate change... CARS.
*smh* I hope Karen in the North End who complained she wouldn't have a place to park her car during the summer due to al fresco dining, is enjoying filing an insurance claim for a new car when she has her god-given-right to park her car in front of her house during a king tide storm.
She won't care, she got her parking spot. Who cares about the sh*tty environment. I got me, f*ck everyone else.
Couldn’t agree with you more
I would never buy or rent a place without parking. However, I’m not so short sighted that I can’t comprehend people not wanting or needing a car. Why does a developer need to provide parking? If they willing to bet with their own money that they can sell/rent the units without parking, let them!
Baby steps
Mayor Wu did manage to pass that change that will waive the off-street parking requirements for buildings with high percentages of affordable housing, so I think they might get there eventually: https://www.universalhub.com/2021/parking-requirements-ended-affordable-...
In the meantime, maybe start a business selling buoys for use as space savers.