Proposed Summer St Development
Oct. 1st, 2009 05:26 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
buckturgidsen.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
davis_squareLast night there was a meeting at the Dilboy Post where a developer presented their plans for two new structures on Summer Street next to the Dilboy Post / Winter Hill Bank building. Details after the cut....
The developer's new name is Strategic Capital Group but it's the same guy Roberto Arista from Dakota Partners (formerly Emerald) who has been trying for 7 years to develop condos on the MBTA shaft site, right next to the Dilboy Post parking lot. There's a lot of acrimonious history there, and I'll do my best to summarize it at the bottom for anyone who cares.
The old proposal seems to have finally died, and the new plan is to instead do a land swap with the VFW guys and build a new 2-story Dilboy Post on the MBTA Shaft site (instead of condos) and then put up a 4-story building on the current Dilboy Post parking lot. The proposed 4-story structure would include 30 condo units of 1-3 bedrooms plus one floor of commercial space (probably more suited to lawyers, architects, etc, not retail). The new Dilboy Post would include a function hall downstairs and a private club upstairs with bar, game room, etc. There would be underground parking in the 4-story building and 2 parking lots, one behind the 4-story building and one in front of the new Dilboy post.
These plans were all preliminary and the developer would need to apply for a new set of special permits to proceed. Last night was just a community meeting to gauge neighborhood feedback, which I have to report was pretty negative. People cited a lot of the usual concerns: traffic (30-60 new cars plus traffic from the commercial space), parking (30 units means 60 visitor permits for on-street parking), noise (from the VFW and a roofdeck on the 4-story building), aesthetics, garbage collection (there seems to be no space for trucks to access the back of the 4-story building to empty dumpsters and recycling), and more.
Some personal reactions:
I live up the street from the proposed development but on the same block. I'm trying to keep an open mind because I'm in no way opposed to developing these lots. I just want to see a developer proceed responsibly, listen to neighbors, and build a development that integrates well into the surrounding community. I think most of the comments I heard from other neighbors last night were completely valid, although noise from parties is a concern I would probably leave until later -- wait to make sure it's an issue, then work it out.
My first reaction was wow! -- the 4-story building is just gigantic! If you should ever find yourself walking down Summer Street, try to visualize exactly how massive a 4-story, 45-foot-tall building running the entire length of the Dilboy parking lot would be. As with the previous set of plans, this structure would tower 15-20 feet over everything else in the neighborhood. The developer showed an artist's rendering of the building as viewed from across the street, and, hilariously, they went to the trouble to Photoshop a guy on a bicycle into the foreground who, due to perspective, appears to be three stories tall. So your eyes are tricked into not realizing how gargantuan the building is. Nice touch! How stupid and gullible do they think we are?
The residential building also seems way too dense. In order to squeeze in 30 units (and meet the parking requirements for that many units) they had to push out the dimensions of the structure and the parking lot in all directions, cutting out virtually all green space and landscaping in the process. There's basically a 10-foot strip of green along the front of the building and talk that there might be a shared roof space, and that's it. The building and parking spaces account for ~95% of the lot. And even the parking lot looks cramped and undersized for the number of spaces they're talking about, and access to parking seems awkward with twists and turns to navigate because they didn't have the space to make it practical. My overall impression is that it would not be a particularly pleasant place for residents to live.
The traffic concerns are also very real. Remember: the Davis Square end of Summer Street is nothing like nearby Elm Street; it's a narrow, one-way street that feeds a number of other narrow, one-way streets. It's also accident prone: there have been at least five accidents on that block since 2005; a lot of people leaving Davis Square on Summer drive as though they’re on a major thoroughfare and misjudge just how narrow the street is.
Another disappointment is that Oaktree Development, a second developer who appeared to be getting involved with this project, seems to have now dropped out. As I understand it, Oaktree has a pretty good reputation in the area as a developer interested in more than just turning a fast buck. I’ve heard nothing but negatives about Dakota, and their approach to the MBTA shaft site project over the last seven years has left me with a strong impression that they just don’t care about the people who live in their buildings or in the surrounding communities. I had been hoping that Oaktree would bring some fresh air to the project and possibly a more responsible approach.
I hope that people and the aldermen (there were five present last night) will keep the pressure on the developer to scale back their plans and present something smaller, less dense, more in sync with the surrounding neighborhood, and a little more pleasant to live in.
Quick history of the MBTA shaft site development
[Only for the truly curious...]
The Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) granted Dakota a special permit in 2002 to build a condo complex on the site provided they could meet certain stipulations, such as the creation of a fire lane in the adjacent parking lot (next to the Dilboy post). Their plans called for a massive structure (41 feet high, 65 feet with the cupola and spire) which would have been one of the tallest buildings in Davis Square, maybe even THE tallest.
This proposal created a problem for neighbors, many of whom felt the proposed structure was too large. Even though the site was technically in the CBD (central business district) zoning, it was way outside of what most people would consider the real Davis Square business district. If you look at a map (maps.google.com/maps) you'll see that the site is basically a peninsula extending into the middle of a typical Somerville residential neighborhood consisting almost exclusively of modest-sized, 2.5 story (i.e. 2 story with gabled third floor) 1-, 2-, and 3-family homes. If you start at the site and walk N, S, E, W, NE, SE, or SW you will immediately hit a residential home. The only large buildings in the vicinity are off to the NW: Winter Hill Bank and beyond it the rest of Davis Square.
Because of this, many neighbors felt that the scope of the proposed structure was out of proportion to everything else in the surrounding neighborhood, a 65-foot tall structure towering over the surrounding 25-30 foot tall homes. This was documented in a Dec 2007 petition: neighbors canvassed the streets surrounding the development site, gathering 100+ signatures for a petition opposing the proposed development, including signatures from every house abutting the site and from 90% of the other houses on nearby blocks. The wording of the petition focused on the inappropriate scale of the proposed structure relative to the rest of the neighborhood, but many neighbors had other objections as well -- issues related to traffic, parking, septic, safety (with the proximity to the MBTA shaft), and complaints from residents in the developer's other buildings in Somerville.
Soon after the permit was issued, one of the abutters appealed the permit, and the process got tied up in courts for about five years, with Dakota eventually prevailing. But in the meantime, a few things happened: the economy and housing market soured, and the neighbors and aldermen successfully petitioned the ZBA to rezone the shaft site property from CBD to Residential-A (RA). Under RA, new developments are limited to 2.5-story height and a smaller footprint, leaving ample room for greenspace and landscaping. This rezoning didn't affect the current permit (grandfather clause) but it does affect any further permits that the developer might seek, should they not be able to meet the conditions of the original special permit.
...which is exactly what happened. In 2008, the developer petitioned the city to remove a public shade tree to make way for a fire lane they proposed to build in the adjacent Dilboy Post parking lot. The proposed building's footprint extended the full length of the property (with 0-foot setback in some areas), hence the need to place the fire lane on an adjacent property. Many neighbors turned up at a public tree hearing to block the removal of the tree. By arcane Somerville tree law, the mayor has to rule on any contested petitions to remove a public tree, and Mayor Curtatone ultimately rejected the developer's request. The developer's special permit is useless unless they can meet all of the conditions set out by the ZBA, and getting blocked from removing the tree prevented them from meeting the firelane condition. Running out of options, the developer decided to sue the mayor and ward alderman to force the removal of the tree.
The special permit was set to expire in March 2009, but the developer successfully convinced the ZBA to grant them one more year, on the basis that the pending lawsuits constituted a hardship that prevented them from staying on schedule (even though Dakota initiated the lawsuits themselves). But by Summer of this year, they apparently decided to abandon the permit and pursue the land swap deal with the Dilboy post instead.
The developer's new name is Strategic Capital Group but it's the same guy Roberto Arista from Dakota Partners (formerly Emerald) who has been trying for 7 years to develop condos on the MBTA shaft site, right next to the Dilboy Post parking lot. There's a lot of acrimonious history there, and I'll do my best to summarize it at the bottom for anyone who cares.
The old proposal seems to have finally died, and the new plan is to instead do a land swap with the VFW guys and build a new 2-story Dilboy Post on the MBTA Shaft site (instead of condos) and then put up a 4-story building on the current Dilboy Post parking lot. The proposed 4-story structure would include 30 condo units of 1-3 bedrooms plus one floor of commercial space (probably more suited to lawyers, architects, etc, not retail). The new Dilboy Post would include a function hall downstairs and a private club upstairs with bar, game room, etc. There would be underground parking in the 4-story building and 2 parking lots, one behind the 4-story building and one in front of the new Dilboy post.
These plans were all preliminary and the developer would need to apply for a new set of special permits to proceed. Last night was just a community meeting to gauge neighborhood feedback, which I have to report was pretty negative. People cited a lot of the usual concerns: traffic (30-60 new cars plus traffic from the commercial space), parking (30 units means 60 visitor permits for on-street parking), noise (from the VFW and a roofdeck on the 4-story building), aesthetics, garbage collection (there seems to be no space for trucks to access the back of the 4-story building to empty dumpsters and recycling), and more.
Some personal reactions:
I live up the street from the proposed development but on the same block. I'm trying to keep an open mind because I'm in no way opposed to developing these lots. I just want to see a developer proceed responsibly, listen to neighbors, and build a development that integrates well into the surrounding community. I think most of the comments I heard from other neighbors last night were completely valid, although noise from parties is a concern I would probably leave until later -- wait to make sure it's an issue, then work it out.
My first reaction was wow! -- the 4-story building is just gigantic! If you should ever find yourself walking down Summer Street, try to visualize exactly how massive a 4-story, 45-foot-tall building running the entire length of the Dilboy parking lot would be. As with the previous set of plans, this structure would tower 15-20 feet over everything else in the neighborhood. The developer showed an artist's rendering of the building as viewed from across the street, and, hilariously, they went to the trouble to Photoshop a guy on a bicycle into the foreground who, due to perspective, appears to be three stories tall. So your eyes are tricked into not realizing how gargantuan the building is. Nice touch! How stupid and gullible do they think we are?
The residential building also seems way too dense. In order to squeeze in 30 units (and meet the parking requirements for that many units) they had to push out the dimensions of the structure and the parking lot in all directions, cutting out virtually all green space and landscaping in the process. There's basically a 10-foot strip of green along the front of the building and talk that there might be a shared roof space, and that's it. The building and parking spaces account for ~95% of the lot. And even the parking lot looks cramped and undersized for the number of spaces they're talking about, and access to parking seems awkward with twists and turns to navigate because they didn't have the space to make it practical. My overall impression is that it would not be a particularly pleasant place for residents to live.
The traffic concerns are also very real. Remember: the Davis Square end of Summer Street is nothing like nearby Elm Street; it's a narrow, one-way street that feeds a number of other narrow, one-way streets. It's also accident prone: there have been at least five accidents on that block since 2005; a lot of people leaving Davis Square on Summer drive as though they’re on a major thoroughfare and misjudge just how narrow the street is.
Another disappointment is that Oaktree Development, a second developer who appeared to be getting involved with this project, seems to have now dropped out. As I understand it, Oaktree has a pretty good reputation in the area as a developer interested in more than just turning a fast buck. I’ve heard nothing but negatives about Dakota, and their approach to the MBTA shaft site project over the last seven years has left me with a strong impression that they just don’t care about the people who live in their buildings or in the surrounding communities. I had been hoping that Oaktree would bring some fresh air to the project and possibly a more responsible approach.
I hope that people and the aldermen (there were five present last night) will keep the pressure on the developer to scale back their plans and present something smaller, less dense, more in sync with the surrounding neighborhood, and a little more pleasant to live in.
Quick history of the MBTA shaft site development
[Only for the truly curious...]
The Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) granted Dakota a special permit in 2002 to build a condo complex on the site provided they could meet certain stipulations, such as the creation of a fire lane in the adjacent parking lot (next to the Dilboy post). Their plans called for a massive structure (41 feet high, 65 feet with the cupola and spire) which would have been one of the tallest buildings in Davis Square, maybe even THE tallest.
This proposal created a problem for neighbors, many of whom felt the proposed structure was too large. Even though the site was technically in the CBD (central business district) zoning, it was way outside of what most people would consider the real Davis Square business district. If you look at a map (maps.google.com/maps) you'll see that the site is basically a peninsula extending into the middle of a typical Somerville residential neighborhood consisting almost exclusively of modest-sized, 2.5 story (i.e. 2 story with gabled third floor) 1-, 2-, and 3-family homes. If you start at the site and walk N, S, E, W, NE, SE, or SW you will immediately hit a residential home. The only large buildings in the vicinity are off to the NW: Winter Hill Bank and beyond it the rest of Davis Square.
Because of this, many neighbors felt that the scope of the proposed structure was out of proportion to everything else in the surrounding neighborhood, a 65-foot tall structure towering over the surrounding 25-30 foot tall homes. This was documented in a Dec 2007 petition: neighbors canvassed the streets surrounding the development site, gathering 100+ signatures for a petition opposing the proposed development, including signatures from every house abutting the site and from 90% of the other houses on nearby blocks. The wording of the petition focused on the inappropriate scale of the proposed structure relative to the rest of the neighborhood, but many neighbors had other objections as well -- issues related to traffic, parking, septic, safety (with the proximity to the MBTA shaft), and complaints from residents in the developer's other buildings in Somerville.
Soon after the permit was issued, one of the abutters appealed the permit, and the process got tied up in courts for about five years, with Dakota eventually prevailing. But in the meantime, a few things happened: the economy and housing market soured, and the neighbors and aldermen successfully petitioned the ZBA to rezone the shaft site property from CBD to Residential-A (RA). Under RA, new developments are limited to 2.5-story height and a smaller footprint, leaving ample room for greenspace and landscaping. This rezoning didn't affect the current permit (grandfather clause) but it does affect any further permits that the developer might seek, should they not be able to meet the conditions of the original special permit.
...which is exactly what happened. In 2008, the developer petitioned the city to remove a public shade tree to make way for a fire lane they proposed to build in the adjacent Dilboy Post parking lot. The proposed building's footprint extended the full length of the property (with 0-foot setback in some areas), hence the need to place the fire lane on an adjacent property. Many neighbors turned up at a public tree hearing to block the removal of the tree. By arcane Somerville tree law, the mayor has to rule on any contested petitions to remove a public tree, and Mayor Curtatone ultimately rejected the developer's request. The developer's special permit is useless unless they can meet all of the conditions set out by the ZBA, and getting blocked from removing the tree prevented them from meeting the firelane condition. Running out of options, the developer decided to sue the mayor and ward alderman to force the removal of the tree.
The special permit was set to expire in March 2009, but the developer successfully convinced the ZBA to grant them one more year, on the basis that the pending lawsuits constituted a hardship that prevented them from staying on schedule (even though Dakota initiated the lawsuits themselves). But by Summer of this year, they apparently decided to abandon the permit and pursue the land swap deal with the Dilboy post instead.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}