Neighbors Ask Zoning Board to Approve Variances for Winter Street Condominium Project-September 2, 1987

In an unusual display of consensus, residents from the Winter Street area appeared before the Zoning Board of Appeal to urge approval of zoning variances allowing developer James Brolly to construct a 22-unit residential condominium complex just three feet from adjacent property lines, well short of the normally required 25-foot buffer zone.

Neighborhood Compromise Over Washington Court

The proposed development, designed by John R. Perry, Architects Ltd. and named Washington Court, is slated for a 40,460-square-foot site at 785–789 Washington Street. Situated on a triangular block bordered by Washington, Walpole, and Winter streets directly across from Norwood Hospital, the neighborhood is renowned for its large, stately historic homes at the edge of Norwood Center.

The current residential proposal follows a failed October attempt by Brolly to construct office condominiums on the parcel—a plan that drew fierce protests from residents concerned about commercial intrusion and declining property values. Rather than fighting a prolonged battle, Brolly negotiated directly with the neighborhood, agreeing to scrap the office plans in favor of luxury residential condominiums designed to harmonize architecturally with the older Winter Street homes.

To achieve the design and incorporate a 44-space parking lot while maintaining the required building scale, the project requires variances allowing the structure and parking area to push within three feet of neighboring property lines. To protect their interests, local residents had Brolly sign a binding legal contract stipulating that if the exact high-end residential complex is not built as agreed, neighbors hold the legal right to secure a court injunction halting construction.

Board Scrutiny and Next Steps

Despite the overwhelming neighborhood support, members of the zoning board expressed caution regarding the precedent a three-foot buffer might establish.

“If we reduce the required buffer zone from 25 feet to three feet, won’t we be saying there’s no buffer strip regulation in Norwood?” board member Philip Riley asked the attending residents. “We could have people saying all they have to do is put up a fence and not have a buffer zone.”

James Hilliard, attorney for the developer, defended the design, explaining that the strict 25-foot buffer rule exists primarily to protect residents from unwanted encroachment—a protection these residents explicitly chose to waive in favor of aesthetic enhancement. Hilliard noted that 22 units are financially necessary to offset construction costs for the high-end materials required by the neighborhood agreement: “We are all in agreement that this building will be the most beneficial for the residents.”

The project, which will feature eight one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom units, awaits a formal site tour by the board on Saturday. If approved, construction is slated to begin in November with completion expected within nine to twelve months.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger