MaxPak site - urban exploration and public hearing

[ron_newman]

The "MaxPak site" is a set of abandoned industrial buildings just beyond the end of the Community Path, in a triangle bounded by Clyde and Warwick Streets, an abandoned freight railroad, and the very active Lowell Line commuter rail tracks.

A couple weeks ago, a Tufts student named xsemperfidelis wandered over there with a friend and took lots and lots and lots of great night photos. She was inspired by an earlier urban explorer calling himself "vanshnookenraggen", who posted two daytime photo essays of the same site: One Two

KSS Realty Partners now own this site, and plan to tear down all the old factory buildings and replace them with 199 condominiums. This requires a zoning change, so there will be a public hearing tomorrow (Thursday, March 1) at 6 pm at City Hall.

As a member of the Somerville Bicycle Committee, I plan to raise a number of concerns, chiefly about KSS's plan to use the abandoned right-of-way as a temporary construction road for trucks, without first removing the railroad tracks and ties. I am concerned that this benefits only the developer and not the city, and could delay construction of the Community Path extension.

Comments

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

That's such a blighted disaster, you'd think the surrounding community and the city as a whole would be begging for a project like this.

[ron_newman]

The surrounding community wants development, but in the past has been fractiously divided about what size of development, how the traffic will go in and out, and so forth. KSS has scaled down their proposal several times -- originally I think they wanted to build over 300 units here.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

with all the Boston-area condo inventory sitting on the market not moving, they want to build *more*? what are they, meshugah? Community considerations notwithstanding, it just sounds like a dumb idea from a business perspective.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

well, if they catch a clue and start dropping prices, especially in our area, I'll take it . . . sick of renting.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

sick of renting.

yeah, tell me about it. :-(

Unfortunately it'll take quite a price drop before I can afford anything around here I'd want to live in. (For values of "around here" that include "inside I-495, where I don't have to sweep the spent shell casings and crack vials off my front doorstep every morning.")

[ron_newman]

Some day, a Green Line station will be next to this site, or at least very near it. So it does make sense to have high density here.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

The problem with this development particularly is the density. The neighbors feel that it is just too large, especially considering that the only way to currently access the site is through Clyde and Warwick Streets - both small and narrow streets. Also, all traffic would end up on Cedar, also narrow even though it's a major thoroughfare. Traffic impact would be huge. There is talk of a new road accessing the site via Lowell Street but I'm not sure if that has been resolved or not.
It is funny, though, how almost every development in the city requires a zoning change of some kind!

[ron_newman]

KSS's latest proposal is to divide the site into two pieces, with 65 units accessed through Clyde and Warwick streets, and the other 134 units from a new ramp to the Lowell Street bridge. Pedestrians and bicyclists would be able to pass through from Warwick Street to Lowell Street, but cars would not.

Even though this site is currently industrial, its zoning is Residence B which would not allow this density of development.

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

How did the meeting go?

[ron_newman]

Less exciting than I expected. About 15 people spoke, and most seemed to favor the development and zoning change, if only grudgingly.

The city will take written public comment on the zoning proposal and covenant until noon on Thursday, March 8. E-mail your comments to mmasters@ci.somerville.ma.us (Madeline Masters) and jlong@ci.somerville.ma.us (John Long). Be sure to :

- include your full name and address
- address your comments to both the Planning Board and the Land Use Committee of the Board of Aldermen.
- say that your comments are regarding the proposed PUD-B1 zoning amendment

[xsemperfidelis.livejournal.com]

Ahh