By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — A proposal for a 100-unit, 40B affordable housing project at 127 Nahant Street has proven frustrating for neighbors and for the Zoning Board of Appeals, and things got testy once again at the end of last week’s meeting, with the attorney for the developer speaking out of turn and accusing one ZBA member of “lying” before Chairman Thomas Lucey restored order.
But before all that drama ensued, attorney Jason Panos and architect Stephano Baso presented some changes to the architectural plans and other updated information.
Panos reported that he had submitted a full set of new engineering plans for the site, although he admitted that the project’s civil engineer was not present at the meeting to discuss the plans. He did promise, however, to bring the engineer to the next ZBA meeting on July 10.
Chairman Lucey reminded Panos that the statutory 180 days that the ZBA has to render a decision on the project will expire on Sept. 11 and the board meets only once in the months of July and August.
“We don’t have a lot of runway,” Lucey said, citing his concern that the board still did not have all the information it needs. Lucey noted that the development team canceled its scheduled June meeting with the Traffic Advisory Committee although they did supply some information to the TAC. He said that the TAC was trying to schedule a meeting in July, but that meant that the earliest the ZBA could hold its own meeting on traffic would be in August.
Panos reported on test pits that had been dug on the site in May. Despite previous observations of a “sheen” on groundwater from the former industrial site, Panos claimed that a licensed site professional found no reportable levels of hazardous materials in soil and groundwater samples.
Project architect Stefano Baso discussed some changes that had been made to the building design, including the locations of a transformer, EV charging stations and bike racks.
Baso also reviewed a “context study” that looked at the size of the proposed project in relation to other nearby homes. After seeing the context study, Lucey likened the proposed project to “the Titanic compared to a canoe.”
Baso also presented a “shadow study,” which the board had requested to see how the five-story proposed building would impact sunlight available to neighbors.
Baso said that when the sun is high in the summer, shadows don’t reach neighboring homes. Spring and autumn produce “modest” shadows, he said, while in the winter, all buildings cast long shadows when the sun is low.
But Lucey pointed out that there are no other tall buildings in the neighborhood besides the proposed 40B.
ZBA member Chip Tarbell pointed out that having such a tall building cast a winter shadow on Nahant Street would slow ice melting on the street, calling it a “huge safety concern.”
Board member Kasumi Humphries noted that winter is when people most want to see the sun, but the proposed building would put neighbors in the shadows all day, every day.
When the hearing was opened to the public, neighbors had their opportunity to weigh in.
“I don’t need a shadow study to know that this building will cause me to lose my sunshine and my sunsets,” said Paula Gardella of Wilson Road.
Victoria Turner of Wilson Road observed that she and other neighbors have come to every meeting. She said it was “insulting” that the development team frequently comes unprepared or doesn’t show up at all. She also called out the context study, claiming that homes used for comparison were “cherry picked” to minimize the relative height of the proposed building.
Karen McMaster of Nahant Street said that the number of cars that residents of the new building would bring to the neighborhood was just one concern. She noted that a 100-unit building would also multiply the number of delivery vehicles exponentially.
Joseph Conway of Wilson Road said that his property is adjacent to the area on the proposed site that is designated for snow storage. He was concerned with runoff from melting snow piles flowing onto his property.
Things got testy after ZBA member Michael Feeley weighed in on the project. He noted that the town is in the process of spending hundreds of millions of dollars for two new schools at the end of Nahant Street “that nobody will be able to get to.”
He noted that the ZBA had repeatedly asked the developer to come to a meeting, which he has yet to do. He observed that the first engineer for the project had dropped out and the new engineer was not present at the meeting to answer questions.
Feeley pointed out that the board is down to just three meetings before the clock runs out on their time to issue a decision, “and we are talking about an unsafe, way too large building that’s going to be an absolute mess.”
Panos interrupted and took exception to Feeley’s comments, calling them “abject misrepresentations.”
Lucey informed Panos that the chair had not recognized him to speak while the board was still discussing the matter among themselves.
“I don’t appreciate being interrupted, Mr. Panos,” Lucey said.
“I don’t appreciate being lied to, Mr. Chair,” Panos said. “Lies need to be addressed.”
“You’re out of line and you’re out of order,” Lucey told Panos.
When Panos was eventually recognized by the chairman, he did not identify which of Feeley’s comments he regarded as untrue.
The hearing was continued to the July 10 ZBA meeting.
