Zoning Board delay of condo plan irks Southie residents

Dozens of angry South Boston residents left a hearing yesterday shouting, “Dirty politics!” after the Zoning Board of Appeal granted a postponement to the architect of a $7.35 million plan to convert the former Gate of Heaven School into condominiums.
“They know there’s strong opposition, and they’re hoping if they defer it, we’ll go away,” Jennifer Thurston, a lifelong Southie resident, said after Niles O. Sutphin was granted a deferral until June 23.
Sutphin sought the delay on behalf of developer 
Michael Moore of Oranmore Enterprises LLC, who 
received preliminary 
approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority in March to convert the former Catholic school on East Fourth Street into 26 condos.
Thurston and other residents said they would prefer to see the Boston Archdiocese sell the property to another school. Neither the archdiocese nor Moore 
returned calls or emails.
“It’s important that there is a process in place with a series of checks and balances to ensure transparency, and that a project is thoroughly vetted before it is finalized,” Mayor Martin J. Walsh said in a statement. “The request by the applicant to defer the Gate of Heaven project will allow for more discussion about the project and its impact on South Boston.”