John Brennan seems to be listening to the neighbors: they regularly push for more three-family size units and Brennan is giving them just that in his proposed six-condominium building on the vacant lot at 3375 Washington St in JP.

They just won’t be for the low budget: the average three bedroom in the neighborhood – 3351 Washington St. # 316 for example – lists for $1million; unit 304, a smaller condo, lists for $830,000.

But Brennan is proud of what he’s proposing as his attorney Don Weist explained at the very lightly attended Oct. 20 virtual abutters meeting, “[Brennan] wants to build a high quality building and make it a great place to live.”

“It’s an empty lot now,” Weist said, a former used car lot at the corner of Burnett Street.

A lot with a colorful history.

It was long the home of Ernie’s Lunch popular with motormen, mechanics and bus drivers from the Arborway yard across the street.

Then I-95 came along and the land was taken for the planned off ramp but after the highway was stopped it remained vacant like hundreds of other highway orphans in Jamaica Plain.

Unlike MetroMark and The Vita, two large scale multi-family buildings nearby, Brennan is investing in a small, empty lot.

Weist said the goal is “that 3575 Washington St. would mediate between those larger buildings at 42 feet high.”

“It’s designed inside out, ideal family units each with a balcony and a variety of windows,” he said.

Marilyn Moedinger of Runcible Studios (Cambridge and Lancaster, Penn.) is the architect and she described her box design.

“It’s family oriented,” she said,“which is pretty rare. A mix of townhouses and flats.”

“There will be two townhouses on two floors, three- and two-bedrooms; then above the three-bedroom flats,” Moedinger said.

The townhouses will face Washington Street with their own door. The flats above will have their own door on Burnett Street

“We’re excited at that, the townhouses with a front door and back door,” Moedinger said.

The back door opens out to the six parking spaces accessible from Burnett Street.

“Real family units. No wasted space. No corridors. Three sizes of windows; warm and inviting,” Moedinger said, “to keep families in JP.”

Caliga was one of two abutters on the call; she lives at 36 Burnett St.

“This is great,” she said but, “we don’t want a box. We don’t want to be gentrified.”

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“It’s a working class neighborhood, the funky side of JP not the pondside.”

“I polled my neighbors. This is what we want. A box doesn’t fit into our neighborhood,” Caliga said.

“What are these going to cost?” she asked.

Weist said the cost will be “set by the prices nearby. This is not the most expensive part of Jamaica Plain. The market-rate units in the building will be consistent with the neighborhood.”

Weist went on to say that the design of the building “still has to make the numbers work.”

“Interest rates are up. The global demands for building materials, wallboard and steel are Canadian. This is stopping construction.”

“The design, more rectangular with six really fine units on this lot is more financially possible,” Weist said.

Caliga did not seem mollified.

“We have a housing crisis because of greed,” she said repeating her mantra as a Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council member.

“This guy who built the Doyle’s project, he’s asking $1.3 million condos. He changed the market.”

That distinction belongs to Joseph Federico with his 99-101 Williams St., two attached triple deckers; a three-bedroom condominium was listed in 2023 at just over $1 million. One of the first of that price range in Stonybrook.

“We’re really scared here. We’re more working class. Our property taxes are going up,” Caliga said.

Ms. Falkenburg said she lives at 58 Burnett St.

“I’m delighted with this,” she said,“it’s better than an empty lot.”

Boston Office of Neighborhood Services moderator Jeremie Bembury closed out the 35-minute meeting saying the next stop for the developers was with the civic association