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Monday, December 28, 2015

UPDATE: 231 Lowell Street Proposal to be Presented to ZBA on Wednesday January 20th

The Wednesday January 6th  20th meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals will have a proposal for 231 Lowell Street on its agenda and will take place at 6 PM in the Aldermen's Chambers of City Hall. Concerned residents are encouraged to attend and testify (up to 2 minutes in length) in support or opposition.

The developer is proposing a mixed-use development with 22 apartments (3 affordable) and two commercial units. There are four 3BRs, six 2+BRs (all larger than 1,000 sq feet), and the rest smaller apartments. There are a total of 31 parking spaces, 7 of which are tandem spaces. 

Current plans: http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/151013_plans.pdf

Planning Staff report and recommendations: http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/planning-board/reports-and-decisions

The developer is Steven Caruso, Attorney Richard Di Girolamo, and Architects Peter Quinn Associates.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder about parking.
Ever since the units at #235 became occupied, it seems the local public area all night and holiday parked private vehicles has increased significantly.

Tandem parking, as noted in the proposal for #231, has its drawbacks.
Vehicles parked in such a manner that accessability (coming or going) for one driver is dependant on another vehicle being moved when both spots are occupied; or one driver arriving in cannot get to the space being blocked by another vehicle.

Rather then dealing with that problem one driver will opt to park on the street.

And two commercial units????
Where will "customers" park?
Woodbine Street is a private way!

Anonymous said...

Maybe "COMMERCIAL" needs explaining.

"Retail" meaning: customers coming and going via auto, needing parking. Plus employee parking.

OR, office space, full time owners and/or employees needing all day parking spaces.

33 property parking spaces allocated and 22 resident units; several with multiple bedrooms. Potentially more adults in those units owning cars.

Must remember the adjacent long standing commercial enterprises (Boston Closet, auto repair shops. etc.)

Bostom Closet, especially with frequent deliveries via tractor trailers parked on Lowell Street when unloading. Many times tieing up traffic.

It looks like we have allready "inherited" some parking problems when the 235 newly built six units were filled. Now 22 more, and 2 commercial.

The developers can expand vertical for big bucks, but cannot expand the available horizontal land/space involved.

Fill a cup too much and it overflows!!

Anonymous said...

Typo correction: 31 property parking spaces; not 33!