Image courtesy of McKay Architects
A lawsuit challenges a 54-unit housing development in Hyde Park, claiming that the Boston Planning & Development Agency board improperly approved the project and violated a neighborhood residents’ free speech rights.
The complaint says the board’s approval of the 1305 Hyde Park Ave. project is contrary to an executive order issued in January 2023 by Mayor Michelle Wu to make Boston’s development review process more transparent and consistent.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that the Boston Planning & Development Agency board violated Hyde Park resident Yrinee Michaelidis’ free speech rights because it did not allow public testimony on the project at the meeting before the vote.
“The Board approved project was contrary to the Mayor’s stated directives and goals for fixing Boston’s broken development process,” Michaelidis stated in the complaint filed Jan. 13 in Suffolk Superior Court.
A 5-story, 42-unit housing project was proposed by Westwood-based developer Joseph Federico in June 2024 at 1305 Hyde Park Ave., a 0.28-acre property which currently is occupied by two vacant residential buildings. An updated application for the 54-unit project was submitted in October, and was approved by the board on Dec. 12.
The project is located in a neighborhood shopping district but does not include any retail space, as recommended in the 2011 Hyde Park Neighborhood Strategic Plan update, the complaint states.
Michaelis seeks a declaratory judgment to void the BPDA board’s approval.
The BPDA and Federico declined to comment.
The property is located near Hyde Park’s Cleary Square, one of the first neighborhoods selected for potential rezoning for higher density under Boston’s Squares + Streets program. The property was reviewed under the existing zoning, which requires approval of three variances from the Zoning Board of Appeal. The Zoning Board of Appeal is scheduled to review the project on Feb. 25.
