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2026-08-31 - Zoning Board of Appeals

Summary

This summarizes the posted agenda for the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, not what happened; no minutes are posted yet. Old business is 149 Plantation Street (testimony on 3/16 and 4/27, listed again) and Lamar Advertising's digital billboard request near 692 Millbury Street, which had testimony on 7/20. New hearings are a lot division with a second 3-family dwelling at 57 Perry Avenue, a parking variance to turn a 6-unit building at 18 Crystal Street into about 12 units, and a special permit to sell beer and wine at a convenience store at 88 Providence Street. Extensions of time are requested for 3 Wildey Avenue (7 townhouse units) and 18-20 Crompton Street (12-unit podium building). The board is also to approve minutes of 5/18, 6/8, 6/29, 7/20 and 8/10.

Source: posted PrimeGov agenda for the August 31, 2026 meeting; no minutes or transcript yet.

Issues discussed: 149 Plantation Street (ZB-2026-003), 692 Millbury Street (ZB-2026-019), 57 Perry Avenue (ZB-2026-069), 18 Crystal Street (ZB-2026-075), 88 Providence Street (ZB-2026-081), 3 Wildey Avenue (ZB-2026-082), 18-20 Crompton Street (ZB-2026-085)

Agenda

Zoning Board of Appeals meeting agenda, Monday, August 31, 2026, 5:30 pm, Levi Lincoln (North) Chamber, 3rd Floor (Room 309), Worcester City Hall, 455 Main St. In person, with remote participation by Zoom (https://worcesterma.zoomgov.com/j/1604564634) or phone 1-669-254-5252, access code 160 456 4634. Written comments to planning@worcesterma.gov at least 48 hours ahead; interpretation requests 2 business days ahead (the posted agenda repeats this in several other languages, omitted here).

Board members: Jordan Berg Powers (Chair), Lawrence Abramoff (Vice Chair), George Cortes, Eric Torkornoo, Enxhi Muharremi; alternates Erik Bartenhagen, Matthew Sacco.

Call to Order - 5:30 pm

Requests for Continuances, Extensions, Postponements, & Withdrawals

Old Business - Public Hearings

  1. 149 Plantation Street (ZB-2026-003) - 149 Plantation Street (ZB-2026-003)

    • Special Permit: low-rise multi-family dwelling use in the RL-7 zone (Art. IV, Sec. 2, Table 4.1, Residential Use #11)
    • Special Permit: To modify the parking dimensional, layout, and/or landscaping requirements, loading requirements, and/or the number of required parking spaces (Art. IV, Sec. 7.A.2)
    • Petitioner: Ram Hill Avenue Investments & Developments, LLC
    • Present use: Vacant wooded lot.
    • Zone: RL-7 (Residence, Limited)
    • Purpose: Construct two 3-story low-rise multi-family dwellings, each with about 24 units (about 48 total), an about 88-space parking facility, and associated site improvements.
    • Testimony dates: 3/16/2026, 4/27/2026. Constructive grant deadline: 9/29/2026.

  2. ROW Adjacent to 692 Millbury Street (ZB-2026-019) - 692 Millbury Street (ZB-2026-019)

    • Special Permit: conversion from static to digital display for a non-conforming sign (Art. IV, Sec. 6.L.2)
    • Petitioner: Lamar Advertising Company
    • Present use: Non-accessory freestanding billboard with traditional advertising panels.
    • Zone: ML-2.0 (Manufacturing, Limited) and the Blackstone River Parkway Sign Overlay District
    • Purpose: Convert the south face of the billboard to a digital display.
    • Testimony date: 7/20/2026. Constructive grant deadline: 9/29/2026.

New Business - Public Hearings

  1. 57 Perry Avenue (ZB-2026-069) - 57 Perry Avenue (ZB-2026-069)

    • Lot 1 (#57) Variance: minimum lot area for a three-family dwelling in RG-5 (Art. IV, Sec. 4, Table 4.2)
    • Lot 1 Variance: minimum side yard setback
    • Lot 1 Special Permit: To modify the parking dimensional, layout, and/or landscaping requirements, loading requirements, and/or the number of required parking spaces (Art. IV, Sec. 7.A.2)
    • Lot 2 (proposed) Variance: minimum frontage
    • Lot 2 Variance: minimum front yard setback
    • Lot 2 Variance: minimum side yard setback
    • Lot 2 Special Permit: To modify the parking dimensional, layout, and/or landscaping requirements, loading requirements, and/or the number of required parking spaces (Art. IV, Sec. 7.A.2)
    • Petitioner: Isaac K. Matovu and Joreen N. Kaggwan
    • Present use: 3-family dwelling and associated parking.
    • Zone: RG-5 (Residence, General)
    • Purpose: Divide the parcel and build a 3-family dwelling on Lot 2, with about 12 parking spaces shared between the two lots, and associated site improvements.
    • Public hearing deadline: 10/14/2026. Constructive grant deadline: 11/18/2026.

  2. 18 Crystal Street (ZB-2026-075) - 18 Crystal Street (ZB-2026-075)

    • Variance: minimum off-street parking (Art. IV, Sec. 7, Table 4.4)
    • Petitioner: Crystal Street Apartments, LLC
    • Present use: 6-unit multi-family low-rise dwelling and 2 parking spaces.
    • Zone: RG-5 (Residence, General)
    • Purpose: Reconfigure the building interior to create about 12 total units with no exterior changes.
    • Public hearing deadline: 10/15/2026. Constructive grant deadline: 11/19/2026.

  3. 88 Providence Street (ZB-2026-081) - 88 Providence Street (ZB-2026-081)

    • Special Permit: extend, alter or change a privileged pre-existing, nonconforming structure and/or use to allow a use of a similar nature (Art. XVI, Sec. 4.C)
    • Petitioner: TN Properties, LLC
    • Present use: Two buildings: a three-family dwelling and a convenience store.
    • Zone: RG-5 (Residence, General)
    • Purpose: Sell beer and wine at the convenience store.
    • Public hearing deadline: 10/14/2026. Constructive grant deadline: TBD.

  4. 3 Wildey Avenue (ZB-2026-082) - 3 Wildey Avenue (ZB-2026-082)

    • Extension of Time of relief previously approved in ZB-2025-030
    • Variance: minimum lot area for single-family attached dwellings in RG-5 (Art. IV, Sec. 4, Table 4.2)
    • Variance: minimum frontage for single-family attached dwellings in RG-5
    • Petitioner: Swee Fong
    • Present use: Single-family dwelling.
    • Zone: RG-5 (Residence, General)
    • Purpose: Extension of time for previously approved relief to raze the existing structure and build 7 single-family attached (townhouse) units with parking and site improvements.
    • Public hearing and constructive grant deadlines: N/A (extension of time).

  5. 18-20 Crompton Street (ZB-2026-085) - 18-20 Crompton Street (ZB-2026-085)

    • Extension of Time of relief previously approved in ZB-2025-039
    • Variance: minimum lot area for a multi-family high-rise dwelling in RG-5 (Art. IV, Sec. 4, Table 4.2)
    • Variance: minimum frontage for a multi-family high-rise dwelling in RG-5
    • Petitioner: Rafael Hernandez
    • Present use: Vacant, partially paved lot, previously a surface parking facility.
    • Zone: RG-5 (Residence, General)
    • Purpose: Extension of time for previously approved relief to build an about 4-story podium-style high-rise multi-family dwelling with about 12 units and about 12 ground-level parking spaces.
    • Public hearing and constructive grant deadlines: N/A (extension of time).

Other Business

  1. Communications
  2. Discussion of Board Policies and Procedures
  3. Approval of Minutes - 5/18/2026; 6/8/2026; 6/29/2026; 7/20/2026; 8/10/2026
  4. Adjournment

Transcript

Transcript pending: YouTube captions can't be retrieved yet (see the Worcester playbook).