Damien Chaviano, a principal for the developer of the Washington Place project (Orr Block) met with the City Council’s Land Use Committee this week. The TAB’s Jonathan Dame reports on what happened.
Washington Place developer meets with Land Use
by village14 | Sep 15, 2016 | Newtonville, Orr Building | 4 comments
This would be a great project for the city to consider if 30% of the units were dedicated “affordable.” But as it’s being presented right now, with two levels of affordable units and a lack of assurance they’ll all maintain that designation in perpetuity, it’s a waste of everyone’s time.
Really good to see the fiscal analysis included. The current block in its somewhat rundown state is still pretty productive, but this certainly has the opportunity to increase that, even if every single unit had a kid in the schools the cost to the city per housing unit would likely be far less than a single family unit and even the duplex units due to density benefits.
I am fine with 5 stories, maybe that 5th story is set back some so form the ground it looks like 4 but that or they work within existing zoning, either way works. I would really like to see homage paid to the rather unique yellow brick of the Orr Block building though they are mirroring the brick work of the dance studio building nicely, it still clearly looks like one thing and I think that needs to change more for this to really work on a street level for pedestrians.
We need more housing in Newton of this sort even if its not as many affordable units as Josh and others want (we absolutely need more affordable too). There is huge demand to live here and that is driving up rents for everybody. My wife makes about 85% of area income and I make around 100% and our current 2 bedroom around the corner from here is still taking about 27% of our take home pay, we are very fortunate but it is still quite a lot. People want to live here full stop. We can work together to accommodate that with projects that make sense and use our existing infrastructure better, or we can stick our heads in the sand and say no more people. That of course means costs to buy a house or condo will keep going up as well as rent, that policy benefits current residents who own at the expense of everybody else, and that is not fair at all.
Great job, Jonathan Dame for reporting facts, including live tweeting from the hearing, without prejudice.
Thank you Councilor Baker for reminding the Planning Dept not to endorse a project while public hearings are going on. This one is still open but the city seems to defend every aspect.
The developer proclaimed at the beginning of the hearing the addition of 17 affordable units without having decided to deed restrict them in perpetuity. We will soon be experiencing the loss some affordable units because their deed restrictions are running out. He has had an abundant amount of time to come to a decision – instead he is leaving the units dangling. How far is that from saying, “I will scratch your back if …?”
It was news to me that the city did not like Rowe Street or Wells Avenue because of their location, according to Planning. I thought they turned them down because of determining that the affordable threshold was met so no need to look at 40B’s. But the city likes this location because of the great transit options.
In meetings with the MBTA and Stephanie Pollack, Rep Kay Kahn, Councilor Norton and Councilor Cote (and Councilor Leary?) learned that, Newtonville is not considered a place to put transit oriented development and there are no plans to change that. Instead the tolls are being raised.
With no T, Commuter Rail for 9-5ivers and nothing afterward (some of which are F stops meaning a prospective passenger must be on the platform to flag them down or the trains continue to chug along) and few buses, the commuter transit is cars and bikes. Even the Court Street ads speak of easy access to the pike as the one transit option. Wasn’t that touted as a TOD?
Also news that Newton does not have a market for offices, as it was to Councilor Laredo – doesn’t that depend on the type? Planning used the difficulty Atrium is having in switching from retail to office space. First Atrium’s retail suffered and left. Does that mean Newton has no market for additional retail?
In an attorney’s memorandum, representing community interests, filed concerning objections in the application itself, one concern was soil contamination around the Sunoco Station. At the hearing, Attorney Buchbinder said the developer would facilitate the clean up. http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/documents/77620
One more thing, I did not like Planning’s explanation for more developments on the Washington CORRIDOR.
Korff will build something or someone else will, that’s a fact. With changes, this one could work out well. I like the brick, but think an area done well with some of the yellow bricks would add a little much needed character. If it stays five stories, which may be difficult if it needs more councilors to pass, it needs to have the fifth floor recessed. I think it may be on the Washington Street side, can’t really tell, but it is not on the sides.
I apologize to Rep Kay Khan for posting that she attended the meeting I commented on above and for misspelling her name. She was not there. I also want to thank her for the great job she does.