The Boston Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) voted unanimously at a recent meeting to build a new retail greenhouse and a new retail barn on the Allandale Farm site.

The farm, which sits on the borders of West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and Brookline, has been in operation for more than 150 years in some form or another, far before zoning took effect in Boston, and the retail use has been in operation for about 60 years. However, the Boston Zoning Code does not allow as-of-right retail in a Greenbelt Protection Overlay District, as well as forbidding agriculture and retail altogether, so the farm needed four separate variances from the ZBA to build the greenhouse and retail building.

The first building, the greenhouse, is at 255 Allandale St. and would consist of a 5,170 square-foot greenhouse and the second building, the retail barn, is at 257 Allandale St. and would take up 5,535 square feet of space.

Attorney Barry Fogel represented farm owner Helen Glotzer during the proceedings, and said the project would replace the aging greenhouses currently in place.

“The goal is to upgrade the facilities to make them more efficient and sustainable and support the regional community in a way that continues to be consistent with the neighborhood,” Fogel said. “The project provides a better visitor experience, improves parking and sustainability with stormwater management, protection for the nearby wetland area resources, and it’s dark sky compliant to improve lighting.”

Fogel said the demolition has already taken place for the new buildings and was previously approved in the fall. He said the plans include a new stormwater management system for the parking lot as well.

“But the pond and the wetland adjacent to it on the right are protected,” he said. “We were before the Conservation Commission last year and received permission, and the project was approved by the Boston Planning and Development Agency Board in March of 2025, and we were before the Boston Public Improvement Commission for a new pedestrian crosswalk to allow pedestrians to cross from the south side of Allandale Street to make it into the property.”

Advertisement

Fogel said that the zoning also forbids agriculture, which he seemed to indicate was odd.

“The Lawrence Farm Conservation Protection subdistrict was actually named for the farm; Allandale Farm used to be named Lawrence Farm,” he said.

For more information on the proposal, go to https://tinyurl.com/savfenv3

Distinct City Councilor Ben Weber’s Policy Manager Jordan Frias said Weber’s office wanted to be on record in support of the proposal.

Office of Neighborhood Services representative Jeremie Bembury said the community process was completed in March of 2025 and received approval from the Jamaica Hills Neighborhood Association.