Boston zoning board approves condo building atop ledge next to Dorchester cemetery

Overview

Updated Sep 23

The lot at 157 Granite Avenue is a rocky, tree-covered wedge squeezed between Cedar Grove Cemetery and a busy Dorchester street. On Sept 22, Boston's Zoning Board of Appeal unanimously approved a five-story, 24-condo building there, granting the variances the site's single-family zoning would otherwise block.

The vote sets Boston's housing shortage against neighborhood opposition. The project adds three income-restricted units and 25 parking spaces. Opponents, including City Councilor John FitzGerald, called it too tall, too dense, and too light on parking.

Why it matters

Boston needs tens of thousands of new homes; this vote shows the zoning board will approve density over neighborhood parking complaints.

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Key Indicators

condo units approved

Five-story building with one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos.

25 of 36

parking spaces approved vs. code minimum

Zoning normally requires 36 spaces; the board approved 25 in a below-grade garage.

income-restricted units

Two sold to buyers at or below 80% of area median income, one at or below 100%.

21 months

time from proposal to approval

Keohane unveiled plans in December 2024; the board voted in September 2026.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Denis Keohane

Developer and project proponent

Secured zoning approval for 157 Granite Ave.

George Morancy

Land-use attorney for Keohane

Argued the case before the Zoning Board of Appeal

John FitzGerald

Boston city councilor, District 3

Opposed the project

Organizations Involved

Boston Zoning Board of Appeals

City quasi-judicial board

Approved the project unanimously

City board that grants zoning variances and special permits.

Boston Planning Department

City agency

Ran community review; staff supported the project

City agency that oversees planning and development review in Boston.

Cedar Grove Cemetery

Private cemetery

Adjacent landowner and former owner of the lot

Dorchester cemetery that sold the abutting rocky lot to developer Denis Keohane years ago.

Timeline

December 2024 September 2026

2 events Latest: September 22nd, 2026 · 2 months ago

September 2026
Zoning board approves Granite Avenue condos
Latest Zoning decision

Zoning Board unanimously approves the 24-unit building, granting variances for height, density, setbacks, parking, and use.
September 22nd, 2026
December 2024
Developer unveils 25-unit plan at community meeting
Development proposal

Keohane presents five-story, 25-unit condo plan for 157 Granite Ave.
December 11th, 2024

Scenarios

Granite Avenue condos rise, units hit market

Likely Resolves by Mar 1, 2028

Discussed by: Boston Planning Department staff, who supported the project's height and density

Keohane pulls a building permit and breaks the ledge with the drill-and-expanding-liquid process he described. The 24 condos sell, including three income-restricted units. With the board's approval and city staff backing, the main remaining risk is a court challenge.

Abutters sue to block approved condos

Deadline passed (Oct 31, 2026)

Discussed by: Abutters cited in the Zoning Board hearing; Massachusetts zoning law (M.G.L. c. 40A § 17)

Neighbors or cemetery trustees file a complaint in Boston Superior Court within 20 days of the decision being filed with the city clerk, arguing the board overstepped on the parking shortfall and the five-foot setback to the cemetery. A court could pause construction while it reviews the variances.

Variances lapse, ledge lot stays empty

Unlikely Resolves by Sep 22, 2028

Discussed by: Neighbors Lynn Woods and Sean Feeney, who questioned parking and economics at the December 2024 meeting

No lawsuit is filed, but Keohane runs into financing trouble or construction costs spike with the ledge work. He fails to pull a building permit before the approval lapses, and the tree-covered lot stays as it is.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2023 – November 2024

MBTA Communities Act (2023-2024)

Massachusetts passed the MBTA Communities Act in October 2023, requiring 175 cities and towns to allow multi-family housing by-right near transit stops. Suburban opposition led to a November 2024 ballot question to repeal it; voters rejected repeal.

Then

The repeal failed with roughly 39% support, and most towns moved ahead with rezoning.

Now

The law showed the state can override local single-family-only zoning to force density near transit.

Why this matters now

This Granite Avenue project needed a parking variance partly because Boston's planning policies now discourage excess parking, the same density push that governs MBTA Communities compliance.

1958 – 1959

West End demolition (1958-1959)

Boston razed the West End, a dense working-class immigrant neighborhood, under federal urban renewal. About 20,000 residents were displaced and the land was sold for private redevelopment.

Then

The demolition ignited outrage and helped launch Boston's neighborhood-preservation movement.

Now

It left deep local distrust of top-down development, shaping how neighborhoods like Dorchester respond to new projects.

Why this matters now

Opponents of the Granite Avenue condos frame density as outsiders imposing change on an established street, a stance with roots in the West End's legacy.