Published in the June 25, 2021 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Zoning Board of Appeals has brought in an affordable housing consultant to work with the town and the developer in an effort to resolve the issues around a proposed 45-unit 40B affordable housing complex at 44, 46 and 48 Crescent St. Three multifamily homes currently on the site would be razed to make room for the proposed project.
The site was issued an eligibility letter last October by MassHousing, but the Wakefield Board of Appeals has balked at the size and mass of the proposed building. Residents have also expressed concerns over traffic, parking and the ability of emergency vehicles to access the adjacent Crescent Hill dead end if parking were to spill out onto that street.
Representing Steven J. Boccelli and his limited liability company, Crescent Commons Development, LLC, attorney Brian McGrail told the Zoning Board this week that the development team had met with a ZBA subcommittee assigned to the project and was doing some redesign to address the massing of the project.
McGrail also reported that he has been before the Traffic Advisory Committee and the TAC has responded to the applicant’s traffic study, but more discussions are pending.
ZBA Chairman David Hatfield announced that the board has decided to take advantage of a program offered by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership whereby consultants will work with the Zoning Board and the developer in negotiating comprehensive permits for 40B affordable housing projects.
Hatfield said that the Crescent Commons project was accepted into the program and Ezra Glenn was assigned as the consultant.
Glenn teaches the master’s program in city planning at MIT. He has also worked in community development positions in Somerville and Lawrence.
ZBA member Chip Tarbell asked who was paying for his services. Glenn said that MHP provides the consultants, which are funded through a small surcharge on all affordable housing projects.
Hatfield said that he had sent Glenn all the materials related to the Crescent Commons development and had pointed him to the recordings of previous hearings on the project.
McGrail said that he was open to working with Glenn and asked if he wanted to meet with the developer and his team to gain that perspective. Glenn, who was on the Zoom meeting, said that it would probably be better to keep things to public meetings.
Glenn said that his role was not to push the project in one direction or another. He said that his role was to help the board focus on areas where it can make a difference.
There was no public testimony at Wednesday night’s hearing on Crescent Commons. The hearing was continued to July 14.
