Joined by district City Councilor Matt O'Malley, residents in the area of Weld and Centre streets once again told developers their proposed replacement for the collapsing old Weld-American gas station is just too big.
The latest proposal from the developers calls for 16 residential units and a commercial unit that would be limited through a deed restriction to professional use, for example, by a lawyer or accountant. An earlier design featured 17 residential units and no commercial space.
Although the four-story building meets zoning requirements for the West Roxbury Centre Street corridor, residents on Hazelmere Road behind the property said it would tower over their land, which sits in the Roslindale single-family-home zone, especially because the land slopes down from Centre towards their property.
Residents said a proposed roof deck would mean loud, disruptive parties that would reduce their property values. And they said the 26 parking spaces were just not enough. Especially when combined with the elimination of the illegal spaces in front of the gas station now, the result would mean a flood of cars parked on nearby residential streets, they said.
One resident expressed the fear that the rooftop HVAC units for the condos would vent a mist of deadly Legionnaire's Disease into the neighborhood below.
O'Malley and residents said they could probably support a three-story building, and said they were appreciative of the efforts to do something about the eyesore the gas station has been for more than 20 years - although one resident said the station has become even more of an eyesore in the year since John Sullivan and Gary Martell bought the property.
Martell said he's sitting on a $5.5-million bank loan and that he's not sure how much smaller he can go. He and his architect said city ordinances require they provide some sort of open space for the building's residents.
Martell said he could provide this through balconies on each of the units, but said that might be more intrusive for residents than a single roof deck. When residents said the difference is a roof deck could be used for rambunctious parties - one predicted police resources would be drained by the constant need to respond there - while balconies are too small for that, Martell questioned how the condo dwellers' parties would be any different than the ones residents of single-family homes could throw.
Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!
Ad:
Comments
And we will call it
By Sally
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 4:08pm
the Broskeemethadrome!! Or maybe just Ho-Karts.
Ho-Karts FTMFW!
By MattyC
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 4:15pm
Ho-Karts FTMFW!
The developer has been
By anon
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 11:53am
The developer has been successful in fooling everyone into believing that Zoning code supports a building of this size on that small lot. People were shocked and confused at how the plan made it past review and "complied" with zoning. It seems absurd when you see how the building spans the plot from front to back without the required offset. Zoning prohibits this to prevent exactly this -- a building that is too large for its lot.
It is only due to a manipulation of the zoning laws that could get this massive structure approved.
The building is technically a corner lot. The true address has always been on Centre Street and Zoning prohibits a building this large at this site in this neighborhood. By changing the address to Weld St and calling the short side of the building the "front" allowed a structure 50% larger on the small lot and allowed them to shove the structure up to the property line of the houses on Hazelmere.
Just by changing the designation from the building front from Centre to Weld lets them sneak a building on this space much larger than would be allowed with the proper designation. It circumvents the intended zoning goals and the residents are right to fight this.
The people of Roslindale and W Roxbury set up the zoning and strategic plan for a reason. This developer found a loophole to circumvent what the city planners, residents and zoning intended. That is wrong.
It may be technically legal and out of zoning commission hands. Thankfully it's up to the BRA to oversee the process and we can hope they'll choose what's right and look past any legal slight of hand.
[never mind]
By erik g
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 3:31pm
I think I misread your original statement. Never mind.
Inaccurate
By Fitz
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 4:15pm
That parcel is zoned as a "neighborhood shopping district" parcel. With that comes the ability to build up to 35 feet high, have the building come right to the sidewalk, and the other things Martell is proposing. The building's mailing address has no impact on that designation whatsoever. If you can point to specific manipulation of the zoning code, I'm all ears but have seen zero evidence of that in the way you're describing. If you're saying the way he has positioned and oriented the building in a way to fit it into the required zoning, well that's how constructing a building works, that's not disception. You don't have to like it, but this parcel was zoned specifically for this kind of building.
You haven't a clue, do you?
By jonbowen
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 11:40pm
Shh...
What is the deal with the
By Cosby
Fri, 10/09/2015 - 10:54pm
What is the deal with the city giving land to the developer? My understanding is they are moving the curb further into center street and restricting the lane size.
If they are not respecting the set back of the existing curb location, then the city is giving them land.
They said BTD agreed to do this?
Wha?
By adamg
Fri, 10/09/2015 - 10:58pm
Yeah, that's part of the proposal, but the idea is to do something about the traffic at the intersection (I'm no traffic engineer, so don't ask me exactly how, but moving the median is part of that) - and create a wider sidewalk that will allow for trees.
The actual property lines aren't changing, though - the sidewalk will be city property, same as now, just wider.
Everybody acknowledges the intersection kind of sucks and residents wanted the developer to do his part to fix that, so he did, so I'm not sure why this, of all things, is something to get upset about.
Pages