ZBA approves Roche Bros. food market, defers action on Crunch Gym

[ron_newman]

The Zoning Board of Appeals tonight unanimously approved Roche Bros' proposal for a Brothers Marketplace food store on the first floor of 240 Elm Street, which housed a Social Security office until 2010.

They didn't seem so happy with the proposed Crunch Gym on the second floor, raising questions about how much additional traffic and parking demand the gym would bring to Davis Square. They deferred action on this until their next meeting on November 19.

Comments

[keithn.livejournal.com]

The zoning board is a complete farce. It's all about approving businesses that have connections and disapproving ones that don't, and the justifications given are nothing but transparent pretext.

"Questions about how much additional traffic and parking demand" the gym would bring to the area? Really? And the supermarket won't create this issue? Do you want to put something there that nobody will want to go to? Did you forget that Davis Square has T access?

And weren't these the same people questioning whether the gym could bring in enough customers to even stay in business? And they're worried that it will create too much traffic at the same time?

This is embarrassing for the city of Somerville. I wish we had a real choice when elections come around.

[ron_newman]

Under the current zoning rules, the supermarket does not require a parking variance, while the gym does. It all has to do with the number of spaces required by the previous uses vs. the proposed new use.

There is an ongoing process to revise the zoning code, which might make future such decisions easier to make and explain.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Not to defend the zoning board, but another factor may be the uniqueness of the businesses. There's really nothing else like Brothers Market in the Square, whereas there's another large gym just a block away, as well as a yoga studio right across the street. Of course, they also let us hit critical mass on froyo places, so maybe not.

[ron_newman]

That subject came up. Someone on the zoning board noted that they had approved three froyo places and that one of them had subsequently closed within a year. (She probably didn't know that a flood had caused Pinkberry to close.)

The Crunch Gym folks say that their gym will serve a different set of customers than Boston Sports Club, as they will have a much lower cost.

[keithn.livejournal.com]

If that was the case, then they should say so. But I wouldn't buy the argument anyway. Boston Sports Club is a luxury fitness center that costs $70 per month and $70 to even sign up. The Crunch! gym will have memberships ranging from $10-20 per month with initial fees of $40. There is plenty of value in having a low cost gym in Davis Square. I anticipate signing up when (if?) it opens.

[teko.livejournal.com]

I hadn't looked into Crunch. That sounds great, and I hope they get approved. I absolutely agree that a low-cost gym (a block from the T and a few steps from a bus stop) has a different audience than Boston Sports Club.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Yeah, agreed, for all those reasons. I would absolutely join that gym.

[purgatori84.livejournal.com]

I would love a lower-cost gym in Davis as well (that isn't RocknFitness / has windows)

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Parking requirements are a complete farce in themselves. Also, fiasco. Also, would basically make Davis Square -- well, most of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville -- illegal and impossible if applied retroactively.

[ron_newman]

Which is one reason there's a comprehensive revision of the zoning code underway. Meanwhile, though, the ZBA has to work with what's now in place.

In practice, these requirements often get reduced or waived.

[keithn.livejournal.com]

When you reported "they didn't seem so happy with the proposed Crunch Gym on the second floor" I took that to mean that they were... well... unhappy with the Crunch Gym proposal, for the reasons you listed (traffic reasons). If they were OK with it, they would just issue a variance, as you just indicated. Could you clarify your original comments, because I feel like I'm not interpreting your words the way you meant.

[ron_newman]

The ZBA wants to hear from, and talk to, the person who wrote Crunch's traffic study. He wasn't available to come to last night's meeting. So they deferred action until he could appear before them.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Obviously they already allowed another gym in Davis, so the idea of a gym is okay. I also agree that they would serve a difference audience.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Not like anyone would walk to a gym, especially with so man around! *cough*

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

In total agreement. This is ridiculous.