Small Jewish high school wins approval to expand in Brighton Center

The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved plans by Mesivta High School of Greater Boston to replace its current one-story building at 114 Leicester St. in Brighton Center with a two-story school.

The extra space will let the school increase the number of Torah-learning boys from 53 to 70, with an extra classroom as well as new meeting and office space. The number of teachers will remain at 5.

The new building will have five parking spaces. School attorney John Pulgini said students are not allowed to drive and teachers will either carpool or take public transportation.

The board unanimously approved the proposal.

Some residents opposed the proposal, partly because it would be out of character with the largely residential street with 70 students but especially over the issue of rats.

Benny Upton, of Goodenough Street, said the neighborhood has seen a tsunami of the vermin of late, which he blamed on the "12 commercial structures sprinkled right around our neighborhood.

"It's been pretty bad," he said.

Upton did not say whether he felt the school specifically was attracting rats, but he was not allowed to expound on his position by board Chairwoman Christine Araujo, who, overseeing an agenda that started at 9:30 a.m. and stretched well into the afternoon, cut him off. When his wife tried to express her opinion, Araujo cut her off as well.