SIGNS LIKE THIS ONE dot the landscape along Nahant Street as residents fight plans for two large 40B housing projects. (Mark Sardella Photo)
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – The long and winding road for two proposed Nahant Street 40B projects will continue through at least the end of this month and likely beyond. The Zoning Board of Appeals has been holding hearings on the two separate affordable housing proposals for the better part of a year.
The ZBA discussed the status of each project at their meeting last week.
One case involves the area around the longtime site of Precision Honing at 119 Nahant St. The applicant originally proposed to build a 120-unit residential building under Chapter 40B, but later reduced the size to 100 units and just recently to 92.
The other project is proposed at 32 Nahant St. and originally came in as a 32-unit 40B affordable housing project. Over the course of the hearings before the ZBA, developer Scott Green has agreed to incremental reductions in the size of the building and the number of units, which presently stands at 22.
With both projects, ZBA members and neighbors have voiced concerns related to size, density, traffic and safety, pointing to the existing neighborhood character of single and duplex homes as well as the narrow, winding street, with a history of accidents.
Board members have expressed additional frustration with the 119 Nahant St. project, alleging a lack of preparedness on the part of the project team and an unwillingness to work cooperatively with the board.
At last week’s meeting, the ZBA provided status updates and continued both hearings to the board’s Oct. 23 meeting.
ZBA chairman Thomas Lucey told the board that the attorney for the 119 Nahant Street project, Jason Panos, had offered to extend the board’s time to hold hearings until Dec. 31. Lucey added that the ZBA subcommittee that has been meeting with Panos to try to move things along would hold another meeting on Wednesday of this week. The board voted to accept the extension to Dec. 31.
Lucey noted that the hearing deadline for the 32 Nahant St. project stands at Oct. 31. He read a letter submitted by attorney Paul Haverty on behalf of developer Scott Green. The letter noted that the development team had met with designated ZBA member Chip Tarbell to look at ways to increase the amount of open, green space on the proposed site. Haverty said that the project team was in the process of putting together revised plans based on those discussions and would present them at the board’s Oct. 23 meeting.
—————
In other matters last week:
The ZBA made a finding and granted a variance that will allow the owners of a home at 75 Forest St. to put an addition on the house.
—
At the applicant’s request, the board agreed to continue to its Oct. 23 meeting a hearing related to a proposed 11-unit garden-style apartment building at 33 West Water St.
—
Veteran ZBA member Chip Tarbell announced that he will be recusing himself from routine cases going forward in order to allow associate board members an opportunity to gain experience and participate more fully as voting members.
The board consists of five voting members and three associate members. An associate member may step in on cases if a voting member is absent or needs to recuse himself for some reason. The chairman will select on a rotating basis between Associate Members Kasumi Humphries, Kirsten Brown and Greg Demerjian to fill in for Tarbell.
Tarbell stressed that he will remain very much an active member of the board and will continue to serve as a voting member on large or complex applications.
