br4dless t1_j58y23a wrote on January 21, 2023 at 6:09 AM

Reply to comment by masshole4life in Developer proposes 375 apartments at former site of Smokestack BBQ in Worcester’s Canal District by moisheah

I’m a little confused about what’s illegal… building new triple deckers?

masshole4life t1_j597sz9 wrote on January 21, 2023 at 8:11 AM

correct

br4dless t1_j5b84r6 wrote on January 21, 2023 at 7:05 PM

And what is the law that prevents them from being built? I’ve never heard this before and lived in the city for about 30 years

masshole4life t1_j5bagcw wrote on January 21, 2023 at 7:21 PM

the wording is something to the effect of banning "any wooden tenement in which cooking will be done above the second floor".

for more info look up Prescot Farnsworth Hall and his "immigration restriction league". the short version is that 3 deckers represented upward mobility for "undesirables", though the record is made to appear that it was due to fire hazards and "ugliness".