On Wednesday, February 28th, Andrew Copoletti of Boylston Properties appeared before the Newton Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to present an updated progress report on the planned development slated for 78 Crafts Street. Since the project is proposed under Chapter 40B (with 20% of the 307 units priced for people making no more than 50% of the Area Median Income, or AMI), approval depends on the local ZBA rather than the City Council. The project will be on 4.76 acres of land, from multiple properties both residential and manufacturing, and will have one entrance and exit on Crafts Street. The February 28th meeting was the second in the ZBA approval process. (See Fig City News article on previous meeting.) The project is on the Newtonville side of Crafts Street and faces Nonantum on the other side of the street.
In its memo to the ZBA, the Planning Department included its review of the project combined with analysis provided by its design review consultant, NBBJ, and the peer review memo of a stormwater engineering consultant.
The City’s traffic study peer reviewer, BETA, is analyzing the traffic study prepared by Boylston Properties, which the Planning Department noted has been an area of ongoing neighborhood concern, as well as the traffic impact of an approved senior housing project planned for 34 Crafts Street, which is not yet under construction. According to the Planning Department memo, DPW Transportation wants an assessment of parking and traffic. The 78 Crafts Street development and an historic DPW facility share a driveway on Court Street. Boylston Properties plans to use that driveway for emergency vehicles only.
Alan Mountjoy, NBBJ principal, discussed the concerns and recommendations included in the Planning Department memo. Among the concerns raised by NBBJ and the Planning Department is the height of the buildings. All are over 50 feet, with the tallest at six stories measuring 72 feet, which according to the memo “may detract from a [project’s stated goal of a] “village like environment.” The Planning Department memo notes that NBBJ recommends “stepping back building heights and potentially increasing setbacks to better integrate the proposed development with the existing neighborhood.”
The current zoning of Multi-Residence 1 and Manufacturing Zones does not provide for developments of the scale proposed by Boylston Properties, but since this is proposed as a 40B project, “the ZBA will be required to determine reasonable standards through the comprehensive permit process.” The analysis is meant to “provide guidance on reasonable standards to the 40B proposal that will further the health, safety and welfare of Newton and the nearby neighborhood while still allowing for the creation of much-needed affordable housing.” The Planning Memo concludes by saying that the standards should not be so costly as to “render the project infeasible.”
In his presentation, Andrew Copelotti noted that 78 Crafts Street would bring the City about $1.2 million in tax revenue, which he said is an 8.5x increase for that land. In addition, the new tenants will be a benefit to local businesses. Moreover, in answering the Planning Department and ZBA concerns, he noted that Boylston Properties is reviewing NBBJ’s memo as well as issues around massing of buildings and development of more green space for resident and community use. Boylston Properties provided a shadow study in response to concerns about the ways in which the project’s buildings will cast shadows within and beyond the development. Copelotti promised that there will be safe, continuous bike and pedestrian paths from Crafts Street to Court Street. The company is working on a 3D model of the project in response to requests from the community.
ZBA Vice Chair Brooke Lipsitt praised the NBBJ proposals for the project. She urged Boylston Properties to remove ground-level parking, which she said diminished the site. She said that the ZBA received several letters noting that some of the construction site was former wetlands and wanted to know about that. If there was no wetland issue, she questioned the need for above-ground parking. Moreover, she observed that the buildings were dwarfing the existing building on Crafts Street, and she suggested that there be more massing in the middle of the development with more greenscape on the perimeter. Her concerns mirrored comments made by other ZBA members. Mike Rossi, ZBA chair, observed that he could not remember NBBJ offering such a range of concerns or being more critical of any other project. He also said it was difficult for him to understand that a projected 1,000 more vehicle trips per day would not have a negative impact on the area.
No one from the neighborhood spoke in favor of the project’s current plan. Several members from other Newton neighborhoods were most concerned that altering the project would lead to a reduction in the number of affordable units. Lynne Weissberg made the case that no other 40B exists in the city that includes rents set for people earning 50% of the Area Median Income, and she did not want anything to put the proposed sixty-two affordable units at risk. Jay Walter said it was unrealistic and too expensive for the developer to put parking underground. Sean Roche termed NBBJ’s peer review a “hatchet job,” only concerned with aesthetics. “We housing advocates want to speak for people to live in our community,” he said.
As noted in the Planning Department memo to the ZBA, local residents were worried about the significant increase in the already problematic traffic patterns and the size of the development. Janine Stewart, who lives on Adams Street in Nonantum, emphasized that she is concerned that the project did not include enough parking for its residents and that it would have a negative impact on an already difficult traffic situation. Terry Sauro, who is a Nonantum native, expressed a criticism voiced by other residents that the project had only one access, from Crafts Street. In addition, she predicted that people would be parking on local streets because of the lack of on-site parking. Several people spoke to the fact that many residents of Nonantum and the adjoining part of Newtonville were earning 50% to 80% of AMI and were being priced out of Newton because of expensive developments. William McQuillan, a Boylston Properties principal, promised to consult with NBBJ. He said the developers had learned from the comments and promised that the ZBA will admire the project. The next ZBA meeting is scheduled for March 27.
See Meeting Packet.
