By BOB BURGESS and MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — Lost in the clamor over the size of a proposed senior living facility in the Square is what a 130 unit Brightview facility would bring in for property taxes each year.
According to Director of Assessments Victor Santaniello, the town would realize at least $236,000 annually, a figure that in his mind represents a “tremendous net positive” from the roughly $60,000 brought in each year from the properties now existing on the planned Brightview site.
Santaniello estimates the assessed value of a 130 unit Brightview facility at about $17.5 million. With the residential property tax rate now at $13.48 per $1,000 of value, Brightview would mean $235,900 in taxes for the first year of operation.
A 130-unit Brightview Senior Living facility that Shelter Development proposes would be built on Crescent Street. The facility would include a mix of assisted-living, independent living and memory care units. The Zoning Board of Appeals has been conducting hearings on the project application for the last six months.
When the town was considering whether to allow a Brightview senior living facility plus a downtown parking garage, estimated tax revenue from the site was $213,000 for the first year of operation.
The major concern that opponents have is the size of the proposed facility. They maintain that the 4.5 story structure is too big for the site and would have a negative impact on the neighborhood.
After a number of early hearings focused on the size of the building, Shelter agreed to make changes to the plans including removing sections of the top floor on the ends of the building to lessen the impact of the height in relation to abutting structures. The changes brought the number of units down from the originally proposed 137 to 130.
Opponents of the project have continued to raise the issue of size at virtually every hearing, even when ZBA hearings focused on other aspects of the proposal. When opponents again tried to discuss size at Zoning Board’s April 22 meeting, board members suggested that the issue of size had been sufficiently addressed and was no longer on the table.
Last Wednesday, a group of about 12 individuals stood at the corner of Main and Water streets holding hand-made signs reading, “BRIGHTVIEW: IT’S TOO BIG.”
At last week’s session of the continuing Brightview hearing, the appeals board discussed a Department of Public Works review of the utility systems associated with the Brightview project. The four-page document summarized a review conducted by DPW Director Richard Stinson, Town Engineer Michael Collins and DPW Water and Sewer Supervisor Steven Fitzpatrick.
The report addressed the water and sewer system as well as storm water drainage on the site and made recommendations. Members of the board called the review “thorough.”
Attorney Brian McGrail, representing Shelter Development in its application to build the Brightview facility, said that his client was satisfied that the DPW’s recommendations were “consistent with what we can do.”
The ZBA also discussed gas and electric utilities with respect to the Brightview project. John Ogren of Hayes Engineering said that he had been meeting with personnel from the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department. Ogren described how electrical service would be brought in from Crescent Street and gas service from Main Street.
The board also wrapped up some remaining architectural issues with Eric Anderson, the architect for the project.
McGrail told the ZBA that since the proposal has changed over six months of hearings, he would suggest that he send out a revised package to some of the other boards that have had input on the proposal.
ZBA member Chip Tarbell said that as the board’s review of the application “winds down,” it would be a good time to begin looking at a preliminary Order of Conditions for the project as well as a construction schedule.
The board continued the hearing to May 27.