Help with a Development mis-justice

[lentower.livejournal.com]

My neighborhood needs a favor.

Please write a letter to the Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals saying you are opposed to the granting of any special permits for 1-4 Hayden Terrace.

If you don't have the time to US Mail a letter, please send an email to
zba@ci.somerville.ma.us. But a written letter is more effective. It's OK to do both.

Just stating your opposition is enough, though it you can add a few reasons that would make your letter even more effective.

If you are free you can also come and speak at the public hearing at Wednesday, December 13, 2006, 6 PM, at Somerville City Hall, on Highland Avenue at School Street.

The web sight is at http://www.haydenterrace.com/ with all the reasons why these special permits should not be granted! And pictures and maps!

Could you please forward this on to anyone who might come and support my
neighborhood?

You are welcome to come by and look at the development in question.

Thank you either way. -len tower

One more thing to do is to call the Somerville Journal's Speakout phone line
at 671-776-9844 and comment on the article that George Vroom got started and
is quoted in. It is at

http://www.townonline.com/somerville/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=565347&format=text

When I've done this in the past, they made the headline out of the first few
works. I know suggest a headline at the start of my Speakout.

A developer has illegally added a 3rd story and gable roof to 1-4 Hayden
Terrace, off Linden Avenue. We want the building returned to just 2 stories. It's 45 feet behind my yard, and is blocking light/air/views for me and many homes around it. It also will add traffic and
parking congestion when it's occupied. He played tricks with the permits and
a building department inspector, so no one knew he was doing more then interior
rehab, and then used pre-built trusses, etc to put up, in less then two weeks,
a third floor with a gable roof on a building that had been two stories with a
flat roof. The gable roof was framed in under a day.

Come by Hayden Terrace and look at the monster. Also go uphill on Linden
Avenue two houses and walk up Gussie Terrace to see the side and back of the
monster. You'll see why the neighbors are upset. Even people 3 and 4 houses
up the hill. Even people 3 or 4 blocks away, e.g. on Brastow Ave. A loss of parking, privacy, air circulation, and views. There is
no parking on that lot. The spaces and garages on Hayden Terrace belong to the
two houses on Linden Avenue.

Might you be interested in helping us fight it by coming to a hearing? Just
attendance would help. Attendance and signing in helps more. Attendance,
signing in, and speaking your opposition would be the best.

Please forward this on to anyone who lives in Somerville, you think might be
interested in coming to the hearing and asking that the building be stopped.

Thank you either way. -len tower

Comments

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

What is the current ratio of 2-deckers to 3-deckers in that area? At least one of the neighboring houses, from the picture in "View Up Hayden Terrace", is a standard Somerville 3-decker, so I'm not sure why this house is more of a monster than all the houses in my old neighborhood.

That's leaving aside the issue of the bait-and-switch on the permits, which does seem unfair.

Mostly two-deckers

[lentower.livejournal.com]

The majority of homes nearby are two stories. Of those, some are single family homes, most are two family homes. 1-4 Hayden Terrace is out of character for our neighborhood in many ways.

best -len

Re: Mostly two-deckers

[inq.livejournal.com]

i am just curious--given that the construction is complete, what's the goal of this action? fines for the owners of the building? financial compensation for neighbors? a decree to return the house to it previous state?

not that i disagree that it's a shame, but seems that this aprticular cow is already out of the barn.

Re: Mostly two-deckers

[lentower.livejournal.com]

If you read the narrative page off the home page you'll see that the developer did the whole project in a super-fast and underhanded manner. You would also find the answer to your question, feel free to resolve your curiousity that way. ;-}

The neighborhood feels that this kind of developer behaviour, and this development are both bad for Somerville.

best -len