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Roslindale Square apartment plan gets another looksee tonight
By adamg on Mon, 12/15/2014 - 8:08am
Vincent Marino, who owns the Tony's/Redd's building on Washington Street, meets with residents tonight to discuss his plan to add two stories and eight apartments to the building.
The meeting is the last chance for residents to get details on the proposal before it goes to the Zoning Board of Appeals. A meeting on the proposal last month ended with residents asking questions Marino's lawyer couldn't answer about such basic issues as the proposal's size relative to the parcel and the state of the supports that remain from when the building formerly had two more floors than it does today.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Roslindale Community Center at Washington Street and Cummins Highway.
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Comments
The building had top floors
The building had top floors before , I am sure it will be sized appropriately. It fills a need , walking type housing. Mr. M has owned that building a long time , I believe , and has invested in Roslindale long before it was village cool.
hoping there will be more answers
If they can get sign-off from a structural engineer, better architectural drawings, and a phasing plan that shows minimal disruption to tony's and redds, then I'm on board. Really, though - he should buy out the bank of america building in the process... that building is really awful. who the hell approved a drive-thru bank in the middle of a dense urban commercial district?
Beats a burned out
Beats a burned out supermarket...l
Stop confusing them with history
The next thing you know, you'll be talking about Brighams, which I always claim was on the corner.
Of course, the anon seems cool with the lot behind what we'll call the old First National Bank of Boston, and doesn't seem to have the same aesthetic concern about the Boston Five Cent Savings Bank building, but we'll let that lie.
It was on the corner, then
It was on the corner, then there was a Thom Mcan ( maybe , maybe it was taken to make the Brighams larger, not totally sure ) , then the Corinth street entrance to the Corey supermarket. Cohasset street was two way up to the last driveway of the commercial parking lot / first house. Looking at G Earth , it looks like the first bank driveway might feed both ways , Cohasset doesn't look clearly marked one way until that second commercial driveway. The old , as you say , First National Bank used to be a Lodgen's Market not to be confused with the existing package store that remained after the market closed. The old old First National Bank was the wedge building on Birch street.
Cohasset Streeet
Amen on the Bank of America drivethru. The number of people coming out of that parking lot and going the wrong way down Cohasset in order to enter the drivethru is over the top on a Friday afternoon. Bonus points go to the drivers whom, in a concession to Cohasset being a one way, drive in reverse until they can enter the drivethru.
Dense urban commercial district?
If you want to hear people speak up against that, I have just the meeting for you.
(Tonight, 6:30, Rosi CC)
Serious question: are you
Serious question: are you going to speak in support of it there? Because if you don't and just comment on here, what does it matter?
Were you there? If not, here's what happened.
There were several people who spoke about how density was a good thing, including a former RVMS member, Joe from the hardware store, and a few others. There were also several people who thought more traffic was the last thing the square needs other than more stores. It'd say it was 50/50. If I were to generalize, the people who are likely the customers of these apartments - younger single people who likely work in the city and take the train or bus/Orange Line were not represented at all. The 'no' folks want to drive to the square, not compete with parking and then also have more thriving 'interesting' stores. No details on how exactly that might work though.
It's a small stupid thing, but I value the marginal anonymity of U-Hub. I did register with a name so I could make comments and I suppose be held accountable for them. Whether or I spoke or not something I want to discuss. If Adam decides he would like real names, then I'll re-register. I've already emailed the mayor's office and RVMS about the project. I would like to see it built and I would like to see RVMS take a lead in promoting Tony's and Redd's specifically during the construction phase - flash mobs to buy sausages or happy hour meetings, etc...
Did you go? What do you think of the development proposal- yea or nay?
Is Joe the hardware guy the
Is Joe the hardware guy the same Joe the sub shop guy ? The hardware store is on the dead end side of Met. Ave now isn't it ? I'm kinda rusty here....
Different Joes...
... but, yes, the hardware store is on Metropolitan, across from Pet Cabaret.
I had to look at Google . The
I had to look at Google . The original Roslindale Hardware was across the street, on the left side of that building close to the house. It's present location was the Laudramet and also Giant something or other sub shop , owned by Joe the Polish guy ( sub shop only ) . Before it was the sub shop , it was the greatest little bake shop , Agnes's. The gas station on the other side of Met ave was Tony Russo's Atlantic. Tony was a former Studerbaker mechanic from the dealer that was just past Roslindale Square, near the DD. That corner of Met ave is dedicated to George Gottwald Jr , who was Killed in Viet Nam In 1968 . His father , George , was a Boston Fire Lieut. died in 1970 in a Roxbury fire, having rescued 3 other firefighters.
Thanks
for the recollections.
I couldn't make it
I couldn't make it unfortunately but was at the first one. Appreciate the info on how it went. Personally, I agree with you and many others that developments like this are really needed in the city as a whole and would benefit Roslindale. Specific to this one, though, I really am worried about how shut out Tony's has been from this process. I have a bad feeling it's going to end up with the loss of a longstanding and respected business. Doesn't necessarily mean the project should be opposed, but I wish there was a way to not reward bad behavior here and still get something done. Your idea is a good one ie. flash mobs etc.
Question
Can someone explain to me WHY and HOW this development will mean the "loss of a long standing business"? I have no idea what Tony's markets' books are like or their financial strength but NO one is focusing on the long term benefits for Tony's market with the construction above him and across the street at the sub station. Can we all agree that by next year this time(pending the approval of the build out) Tonys Market business is going to expand exponentially? What smart business man would not put up with 2 months of slower business(that is yet to be determined) for the guaranteed growth of business for the unforeseeable future? Here's a question, don't construction workers eat Deli meats???
I understand it is tough for older people to deal with change, but please let us stop all this talk about the financial impact this will have on his business, it is not a valid point. The community is going to go overboard and make sure that his business does not suffer. Im going to go out on a limb and say that next year will be Tony Markets best year!
It's based on how the
It's based on how the landlord did not inform Tony about his plans for the apartments beyond a casual conversation earlier this year and didn't find out until a few days before a last minute community meeting where the plans weren't even very detailed then. No one really disputes that point. So there's a mistrust there, added to by Mr. Marino's behavior at the meeting towards the business owners. I think the issue is a fear that the construction impacts combined with apparent ill will between them will end up in the business moving out of the square by choice or force or just closing up shop and retiring. I don't know that anyone thinks he will go out of business so you're confusing the issue. It all may hopefully work out in the end but I don't blame Tony's for being apprehensive nor people concerned he might go somewhere else to avoid the whole situation, or for that matter if Marino tells him to leave since I think they have a short-term oral lease. That may be how it goes in the end but it'd be unfortunate to lose a business that has been there a long time through the ups and downs and is still pretty popular.
Tony
I feel bad for Tony but... I don't think he is going to lose business because of scaffolding in front of his store. I would bet heavily that most of his customers are long time customers, not random passers by who see his sign and stop in. If there is a significant issue with dust, that's a real concern but not necessarily something which is going to happen for all 4-6 weeks of the framing and heavy construction. If he goes out of business, that's on us, his customers, for not supporting him. If somehow there is a construction issue which causes a temporary closure of his store, I think that's likely covered by insurance. The only real risk would be that he just decides enough is enough and he takes a well earned retirement.
Please
No inquiries on how many parking spaces will be provided.
2 spaces per zoning
Current zoning for Roslindale requires 2 spaces per dwelling. These requirements went into effect a few years ago when Roslindale's zoning was redone. Anything less requires a variance from the ZBA.
Just 1.5 spaces per dwelling in the square
There's a footnote in the Roslindale Zoning Code that says:
This building is (barely) in subdistrict CC-1 (map here).
Thanks
Was going to post that, but then I wasn't quite sure where it was documented. So this proposal would normally need 12 spaces, something that I consider to be too high by several factors. Does anybody know whether Marino is applying for a variance, working a deal with B of A, something else?
It seems like working out a
It seems like working out a deal with BoA would be the best of all worlds - put that huge oversized lot to slightly better usage and shut up all the whiners complaining about parking
variance
There are four variances being requested which is why there are meetings at all.
1. Minor height variance
2. Minor distance from rear of building to back of property variance (needed to accommodate second stairs.
3. Something else minor?
4. No parking provided- this is the main thing really. Marino thinks that these occupants of 1 bed units are less likely to have cars and certainly not more than one, so less than 8 cars in total being added to e district.
On Item 4
I think Marino is likely right about that. The substation project already sets precedent for such a variance, having slightly fewer parking spots than units. However, as pointed out above, the BofA lot presents a nice compromise option if need be.