Rezoning of BRMC site may change face of Stoneham forever
Published on May 17th, 2000
STONEHAM, MA - The town of Stoneham may soon change forever. How soon? June 12. How so? Zoning amendments to change the use of the old, 42-acre Boston Regional Medical Center property are on the table.
Selectmen opened and closed the warrant for a Special Town Meeting scheduled for June 12 at their May 16 meeting. Three of the six articles on the warrant are proposed zoning changes for the former hospital property owned by the Gutierrez Company of Burlington.
"I've lived in Stoneham all my life, and I don't remember anything bigger that's happened here," Selectmen Chairman Pat Jordan said.
If the town bylaws are amended as proposed, Gutierrez could build any combination of hospitals, research facilities, office buildings, hotels, restaurants and parking garages with proper approvals from town boards.
The area would be a "medical/office district. Labs and medical offices are subject only to site plan approval, whereas a hotel would require a special permit as well.
"I hear they are thinking of six buildings," Selectman Al Conti said at the May 16 meeting.
But before anything is built or even amended, town meeting voters must approve the zoning changes by a two-thirds vote.
Selectmen moved to sponsor the three articles which ask to create the new district, classify the BRMC property as in the district, and add parcels over 10 acres within the district to the Wireless Service Facilities Overlay District (cell phone towers allowed).
But before the board makes a final decision whether they will support the articles on Town Meeting floor, a public meeting will be held at 8 p.m. on May 23 in the Town Hall Hearing Room.
Also, by law the Planning Board must hold a formal public hearing to discuss the proposed zoning changes. This date was not set as of press time.
Selectman Conti said he had public safety concerns he wanted to address before going forward with approval.
Citizens will have two chances - the selectmen's meeting and Planning Board hearing - to learn about the new zoning before the final debate on town meeting floor.
Selectmen also sponsored two of the other three articles on the warrant: a transfer of funds to balance the fiscal 1999 town budget and a transfer of funds to pay for parking and traffic enforcement.
The final article on the warrant is sponsored by the School Committee. They want to keep rental money from North School in a revolving account to use for maintenance of any school buildings.
Some opposition
Cosmo Ciccarello voted against closing the warrant May 16 because he said citizens should have a chance to gather signatures and bring an article.
For a Special Town Meeting called by the selectmen a citizen needs 100 signatures on a petition to place an article on the warrant. Otherwise a citizen must obtain 200 signatures to force a Special Town Meeting.
Ciccarello also voted against sponsoring the zoning articles because he said the Planning Board should take the lead role with zoning.
For the purposes of moving the process along the other selectmen opened, closed and sponsored what they felt they had to. Waiting for other boards would have delayed postings of meetings and could have forced the town meeting date back.
Town Administrator Jeff Nutting pleaded for no delays.
"If we don't have this meeting to balance the budget, we won't have money to pay town employees," Nutting said.
Four out of five selectmen agreed, so June 12 is the date.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!