THE SITE of a proposed 32-unit 40B affordable housing project on Nahant Street is presently occupied by a two-family home at 32 Nahant St. (left) and a single-family home at 36 Nahant St. (Mark Sardella File Photo)
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – Hearings continue before the Zoning Board of Appeals on two separate 40B affordable housing proposals a stone’s throw from each other on Nahant Street. The absence of a traffic study for either project continues to be a concern, although both applicants say that they are in the process of having those studies done.
A 100-unit project is proposed for 127 Nahant St. (the former site of Precision Honing) has been scaled back from the initially proposed 120 units. Just down the street at 32 Nahant St., what started out as a 32-unit building has been reduced to 26 units.
In both cases, the ZBA has made it clear from the beginning that the size of these projects is a problem.
Representing developer Scott Green’s project at 32 Nahant St., attorney Paul Haverty said that civil engineer Chris Sparages and architect Andrew Jones had made changes to the project plans based on feedback from the board.
Sparages told the ZBA that the building had been reduced from the original 32 units to 26. To accomplish this, one entire floor was eliminated, reducing the building from four stories to three. This brings the height of the building down from 45 feet, 3 inches to 35 feet.
The reduction in building size and unit count also allows parking to be reduced from 48 to 42 spaces. Some of those spaces can now be larger than originally proposed with space left over to increase the landscaped area around the building.
Three more trees have been added to the plan along with 55 more evergreen shrubs.
Sparages said that several outdoor benches had also been added as well as more planting beds in the front of the building.
Some ZBA members observed that there was still no backyard area and few amenities, like outdooor grills.
But ZBA member David Hatfield said that with the reduction in building size and added green space, the project was headed in the right direction.
ZBA chairman Tom Lucey asked about space in the rear, asking if the building could be pushed back further from the street like existing homes in the neighborhood.
Andrew Jones of Phoenix architects showed renderings of the reduced size building, adding that not much had changed in terms of the interior floor plans. As presented, the project now has 22 one-bedroom units, one 2-bedroom unit and three 3-bedroom units.
ZBA member Joe Pride observed that the building design looked off-balance to him and suggested shaving off a section on the left side, which would eliminate four more units.
Board member Kasumi Humphries wanted to see fewer 1-bedroom units and more 2-bedrooms in order to better accommodate families.
ZBA member Chip Tarbell asked about a traffic study.
Haverty said that they were in the process of getting a traffic study done.
Lucey said that in his view, the application was not complete without the traffic study. He therefore suggested that the developer should extend the 180 days that the board has to render a decision.
But Haverty countered that the statute does not require the submittal of a traffic study as part of a 40B proposal. He said that even with a delay in the traffic study, there would still be plenty of time. He said that if time is running out as they get to the end of the process, his client would be willing to discuss an extension at that time but not before.
ZBA member Greg McIntosh insisted that the traffic study should take into account both 40B projects being proposed on Nahant Street. Haverty said that was their intention.
Lucey said that once the traffic study is done and it goes before the Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC), he wants a full presentation on traffic before the ZBA as well.
Board member Mickey Feeley said that in his opinion developers purposely delay providing traffic studies as part of a deliberate strategy to run out the clock.
Lucey also expressed surprise that developers didn’t anticipate traffic being the board’s foremost concern on Nahant Street.
“I’m not going to let the clock to run out while they diddle around with traffic,” he said.
When the hearing was opened to the public, Brandon Napstad of Stark Avenue, where a third 40B has been proposed, said that the area is already plagued with traffic congestion.
“We are being surrounded by these projects,” he said.
Ellen Cummings of Raven Road agreed, noting that traffic is “out of control” on Nahant Street which is narrow and has inadequate sidewalks.
The ZBA continued the hearing to its Feb. 28 meeting
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The developer of the other proposed 40B, the 100-unit “Residences at Nahant,” at 127 Nahant St., requested a continuance of the hearing to the boards Feb. 28 meeting, but Lucey provided a brief update on where things currently stand with that project.
He noted that a newly formed ZBA design subcommittee for the project recently met with the developer’s attorney and team to discuss issues related to the size and massing of the project.
Lucey said that the subcommittee was told that the first draft of the traffic study is complete and will be submitted to the Traffic Advisory Committee.
He noted that about 40 neighbors attended the subcommittee meeting and provided a lot of comments, but the subcommittee made little progress in getting the developer to reduce the size and scale of the project.
THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS is not happy with a proposal to build a 100-unit 40B affordable housing project on this 127 Nahant Street site. (Mark Sardella Photo)
