Notes from Monday's Davis Square Task Force meeting

[ron_newman]

Some notes from Monday's Davis Square Task Force meeting:

CARLI Fence site

This is west of Willow Avenue and north of the bike path, at the end of Newberne Street. A developer has bought it and wants to build a wood-framed, three-story, 40-foot high building containing 12 condominiums -- 6 on the top floor, 4 on the second floor, and 2 on the first floor. Six of the condos would be one-bedroom, the other six two-bedroom. All units would be walk-ups, with no elevators. One condo would be a subsidized affordable unit, to comply with the city's inclusionary zoning ordinance.

There would be 20 parking spaces, some covered on the remainder of the first floor, the rest strung out parallel on a long one-way driveway from Willow Avenue, next to the bike path. Since this site is a 5-minute walk to the Davis Square T station, I suggested cutting the parking spaces back to 12, in order to provide green space along the bike path. (Why does it need more than one space per unit?) However, others in the neighborhood objected to that idea.

The developer originally wanted to build a "more industrial-looking" four-story building with 16 units, but scaled back his plan after meeting with Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz. However, the original plan would have had underground parking and much more green space along the bike path, instead of parking spaces.

He said that his plan conformed to zoning (mostly Residence C, with some open space), with only half of the floor area ratio allowed by the zone. He has not given any thought yet to landscaping (for instance, to screen the parked cars from the bike path), nor to providing an access point from Newberne Street to the bike path.

For more discussion of this proposal, see ryanwanger's post and the blog entry he has linked to.

Antonia's Restaurant and Ten Tables

Krista Kranyak, owner of Ten Tables restaurant in Jamaica Plain, would like to buy Antonia's and turn it into a second Ten Tables location. She has lived in Somerville for 5 1/2 years, a short walk from Davis Square.

Unfortunately, she has found out that Antonia's beer and wine license does not come with the property. Beer and wine licenses cannot be sold. When a business that has a beer and wine license closes, its license reverts to the city. There are two other beer and wine licenses available, but seven restaurants have applied for them, including Alfresco and Martsa on Elm. The Licensing Commission would have to decide which is fairer: giving a license to a brand-new applicant at an existing location, or giving it to an applicant that has been waiting longer for one.

Without a guarantee of a beer and wine license, it's unlikely that she can buy the restaurant. The city has asked the state legislature to grant it ten more such licenses, which would solve the problem entirely, but the legislature has not yet acted on this.

Former Enterprise rent-a-car: The owner, Christos Poutihidis, did not show up for the meeting. Somoene else said that the owner does not want to have another rental car operation, and instead wants to put up a building with commercial use of the first floor and residential use on the second (and possibly more). Mr. Poutihidis also owns the house next door on Cutter Avenue, so it's possible any future development would combine the two lots.

Sacco's Bowl-Haven: Trish Blain didn't have much to report yet. She thought she had a deal to buy Ideal Engine next door, but a member of that family killed the deal. Trish will present her proposal at a public event at Dilboy VFW - Monday night, Feb. 25 at 7 pm.

Dollar Days: Blue Shirt Café is not expanding into this space. Someone said he had heard of seven possible tenants looking at this storefront.

Dover Plaza: A publisher is moving into the space vacated by Share Group. Someone at the meeting said Candlewood Candlewick Press, which is now located a short walk away on Mass. Ave. in North Cambridge.

Dahn Yoga studio: A women's fashion boutique called Suneri is moving into at least part of the space, according to a sign in the window. There is also still a For Rent sign, so it's possible the space is being subdivided.

Sushi restaurant in former La Contessa space: Should open at the end of February ("which may really mean mid-March"). The storefront renovation required more work than expected, including some environmental cleanup.

Next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 14.

Comments

Dover Plaza

[m-b-w.livejournal.com]

Could "Candlewood Press" actually be "Candlewick Press" of Cambridge?

Re: Dover Plaza

[ron_newman]

That sounds likely. Here's their web site. They're just a few blocks away now, in the Henderson Carriage Building on Mass. Ave.

[ron_newman]

Matt Kaplan from the Powderhouse newspaper was also at the meeting. Here is his report.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Why does a condo complex need more than one parking space per unit?

Because some people have to commute by car to workplaces that aren't accessible to public transportation, and sometimes those people are married to or partnered with each other. It's in the interest of a developer, especially in today's buyers' market, to have the option of selling some condos with 2 parking spaces.

[mrf-arch.livejournal.com]

Yup. It takes two incomes to support the prices most developers want for new construction.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[witzwurst.livejournal.com]

Plus, if I'm not mistaken, it's required by Somerville's zoning ordinances. (20 spaces seems to be by-the-book, albeit without the allowed reductions for proximity to transit.)

[ron_newman]

Which is unfortunate. If we want to become a greener city, that kind of requirement should go away.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

If I remember correctly, it's a minimum of 1.3 parking spaces per unit and tandem spots count as 1 spot, regardless of number of cars held. They are fighting the other problem of too many cars parking on the street.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Then more people will be parking cars on the street. Not providing off-street parking spaces doesn't make the city any greener.

I work at home, and we only have one car, but I know we're fortunate not to have to keep two cars.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Do you know if Candlewick is moving or expanding?

[ron_newman]

No, I have no other information. As you can see, I didn't even hear the name correctly.

[skokefoe.livejournal.com]

I have heard that they are closing the Cambridge location and moving to Dover Street. I don't think they are expanding significantly, but they do list a few open job listings on their website.

[shava23.livejournal.com]

"environmental cleanup?" man, maybe it's ok I never got to Contessa much...

[aquastar.livejournal.com]

Antonia's is closing?
Anyone with info on that situation (so I can be filled in a informed) would be appreciated :)

[ron_newman]

I don't know anything beyond what I reported. Presumably its closing date depends on how soon they can sell it.

[aquastar.livejournal.com]

Yea ... thats sort of what I figured. Weird.

Thanks for the info :D

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

Yay! Someday there will be sushi!

Thanks for the report.

[ron_newman]

Just in case you don't know, there is already sushi at Taipei Tokyo.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

I could probably qualify my statement to, "Yay! Someday there will be sushi conveniently located on my commute to and from school!"

[ron_newman]

Taipei Tokyo is directly across the street from the T station, on Holland Street. It's much less than a block from the former La Contessa.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

I did not know that. Thank you!

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

And Yoshi's in Powderhouse circle, and Tip Top in Teele.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

Teele's a little farther than I care to go, since I live closer to Union Square, very near to City Hall (I walk to and from Davis Square, and tend to think of anything in Davis as being close to me, even though it's not really--it's just on my route). Know of anything down in the vicinity of Union Square?

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the report. Sorry to hear Antonia's will be leaving. Glad to hear no new burrito places are on the horizon. I'm really disheartened by the news of what's going into the Carli lot.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I'm really disheartened by the news of what's going into the Carli lot.

Were you hoping for another fence company, or some other light industrial?

[fefie.livejournal.com]

yeh, I'm sure gonna miss that fence company! (My post about what I'd like to see is in the Carli thread.)

[teko.livejournal.com]

I certainly hope the state legislature grants the city the additional licenses. It should be pretty obvious that the lack of licenses is hurting the area's dining. I wish there was something I could do to help.

[ron_newman]

Call you state senator (Pat Jehlen or Tony Galluccio) and state rep (Denise Provost, Carl Sciortino, or Tim Toomey) and let them know you support the additional licenses.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Done and done. Thanks!

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

Ron, did Gerwitz really push for less dense development, the result being that the building will not be able to support underground parking?

If so, I'm puzzled. I thought she was part of the Somerville Progressives wing of the Democratic Party, and would be in support of building MORE housing so that supply would moderate prices, and that she would be in favor of green space. I'm always puzzled when people insist on downscaling developments and then bemoan the lack of affordable housing--though admittedly, I'm making a lot of assumptions about Gerwitz in this post.

[ron_newman]

Building yet more unaffordable housing won't help the problem, in my opinion. We've already got an excess of the high end of the market around here.

I reported what I heard at the meeting, but I don't want to speak for Rebekah Gewritz. I suggest you ask her these questions directly.

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

If the housing was unaffordable, then people couldn't buy it so it wouldn't get built. People are buying this type of housing in Somerville, Davis Square Condominiums notwithstanding. I think that the people who are buying this type of housing would argue that there's not nearly enough of it to go around and that's why there is such a premium for it. If more housing like this gets built and supply catches up with demand, it will get less spendy. We're not talking about McMansions on two acre lots or buildings with concierges--this is more or less the entry-level housing for Somerville now.

If what you mean is that there's not enough below-market housing available, then that's a totally different nut. But I'd be willing to bet that getting this particular developer to build fewer units will not result in the condos in this project being less expensive.

[ceo]

On the subject of Carli Fence, I always thought that a fence company ought to have a less ugly fence around it.

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

Glad to see the back of those guys.

[philbot.livejournal.com]

Oh man. A Ten Tables in Somerville would be SO RAD.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

FYI - Christos Poutahides (Enterprise Rent A Car), also owns the block where Out of the Blue USED to be (lots of background there!), and he also owns the Davis Square Condominiums on Willow, as well as several other properties in the city. He is not to be trusted, and is not interested in following the rules. He must be watched VERY carefully. Why do you think the city is witholding occupancy permits for 3 of his units at Davis Square Condos? Didn't follow the plan, and noone noticed till the building was finished. He will cut corners whenever he can and skirt the laws whenever he can.
As my grammar school principal used to say: "A word to the wise...."

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

For all those interested in the Davis Square Condominiums on Willow Ave., there is a meeting next week that everyone should try to attend:
PUBLIC HEARING
Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)

Wednesday March 5, 2008
6:00 PM
Somerville City Hall - 93 Highland Avenue
2nd Floor Aldermen's Chamber

Pertaining to the
131 - 135 WILLOW AVENUE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT
(New "Davis Square Condominimums" Building adjacent to community bike path, at corner of Willow Avenue and Morrison Avenue across from the Y-Not Variety Store)

The owner/developer, 131 Willow Avenue LLC, seeks to revise the Special Permit
to allow for the continued existence of the porch roof, dormers and windows as they have been constructed.

NOTE: The roof over the porches (decks) on the Morrison Avenue side of the building
has been constructed in violation of the terms of the legal Settlement Agreement on this project
that was made part of the Special Permit granted in 2004. The owner/developer is now seeking the City's approval to retroactively legalize this construction.

Friends and Neighbors:

In the period 2003 - 2007, you participated in the public review of the 131 - 135 Willow Avenue development project. As most of you are aware, the Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) approved the project in 2004 with the granting of a Special Permit as well as a number of zoning variances. Subsequently, several abutting property owners filed a lawsuit in Superior Court against the developer and the City of Somerville. In late 2004, the parties settled the lawsuit by entering into a Settlement Agreement containing a number of conditions with which the developer agreed to comply. In December 2004, the Somerville ZBA amended the Special Permit by attaching the Settlement Agreement thereto.

However,...the new development was constructed inconsistent with certain terms of the 2004 Settlement Agreement and the final Special Permit The exact arrangement of certain dormers, doors and windows has changed slightly, but... Much more importantly is the fact that the building's roof has been constructed to extend over the porches (decks) on the Morrison Avenue side of the building. This is at odds with the terms of the Settlement Agreement and final Special Permit, which reflected an agreement that the third floor deck be left uncovered in an attempt to reduce the massing of the northeast corner of the building and as a way of breaking up the enormously long east elevation of the building. Therefore, the owner/developer must go back before the Somerville ZBA to seek approval to revise the Special Permit so as to essentially legalize the construction that is inconsistent with the Settlement Agreement.

We need as many people as possible to attend the Somerville ZBA public hearing on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 6:00 PM in the Aldermen's Chambers on the 2nd Floor of City Hall. Although it is probably unlikely that the City will require outright demolition and re-construction of the part of the building that violates the Settlement Agreement, having a lot of people voice strong concern at the public hearing about this violation may well provide leverage to require the developer to address other matters. This ZBA meeting may also provide the opportunity to raise other appropriate concerns about the project (e.g., many folks are concerned about the lack of landscaping on the site and apparent lack of commitment to restore the plantings that had existed on the adjacent community bike path).

The ZBA probably will not act...right away, especially if there is sufficient public attendance... The City may in fact require the developer to hold a neighborhood meeting to provide a means for neighbors to ask more questions and give more input. Presumably the ZBA would accept further public testimony/input after the March 5th hearing and not act on the application for at least 2 - 4 weeks after that.

PLEASE plan to attend the March 5th public hearing! Watch for another e-mail early next week that will provide more information prior to the public hearing.

Best Regards... Bill Noll

[ron_newman]

I suggest you repost that as a separate post (with an appropriate lj-cut), so more people will see it.