Spot Pond Motel condo development
Published on October 15th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - The town's Finance and Advisory Board voted unanimously in support of a zoning article that would pave the way for an 11-unit condominium development at the site of the Spot Pond Motel.
Although the Finance Board traditionally refrains from voting on Planning Board articles, the committee based its decision on the potential $40,000-50,000 in annual tax revenue the town would receive if the project goes forward, says Finance and Advisory Board Chairman John Warren.
"The board was in favor of it unanimously...The feeling of the board is that this is an important project. It has a positive financial impact on the town and it takes us in a direction we want to go in. You would have an additional tax revenue of $40,000-50,000," said Warren, who claims the property currently pays around $11,000 in tax revenues.
The Monday night endorsement came three days after Stoneham resident Ben Caggiano (not to be confused with the Finance Board's Ben Caggiano) finalized a deal to purchase the 1.3-acre property, according to Stoneham attorney Steve Ciccatelli, who represents the new owner.
Specifically, the warrant article would seek to change the zoning at the site of the Spot Pond Motel to become uniformly part of the Residence B district. Currently the site is zoned as part of the Highway Business District and the Residence A and B districts.
According to Ciccatelli, because Caggiano purchased the property without any contingencies, the project would be squashed without Town Meeting approval, which requires a 2/3 vote.
"He closed on the property on Friday and he's purchased it without any contingencies. He's putting his faith in the town and the townspeople. It's in the hands of the Town Meeting voters at this point," Ciccatelli remarked.
Introducing the project to a receptive Board of Selectmen last Thursday night, Ciccatelli explained that each unit would sell for $400,000-475,000 and contain an average of 2300 square feet of space.
Unofficial plans for the project also detail decorative features such as old-fashioned street lights, a roundabout with a water fountain, and an abundance of green space that would include a landscaped area containing a gazebo at the northern end of the property.
Reacting to the plans, Selectmen Cosmo Ciccarello and Charlie Smith both spoke in favor of the project, claiming the development would clean up the dilapidated motel.
"I think it will enhance the town if it's done right. If they stick to the plans it would be very nice," Smith commented.
"It will clean up the area, no question. I've seen Caggiano's work and he's an asset to the town...[The motel] has been quite a problem over my 18-years with the board. There's loud noises, parties and kids all over the place there...[The motel] is shabby, has no upkeep, no landscaping...it's a dump, a disgrace really," said Ciccarello.
According to Stoneham Police Sgt. TONY Kranfuss, while the police have responded to the Spot Pond Motel 77 times since 1998, a high number for a single address, the reasons for the police visits do not all pertain to criminal complaints.
"For one address, sure that's more than usual. But those calls could be for anything from a broken down car to a domestic dispute. The calls range from soup to nuts," Kranfuss reported, adding that the police have been called 23 times to the 597 Main Street property since 2002.
Selectman Charlie Smith, who lives near the Spot Pond Motel, also agrees that the property hasn't been a huge problem.
"It is low-income housing for people, but coming from this side of town, I've never heard of any major problems coming from it," Smith commented.
Speaking of another benefit of the condo complex, Ciccatelli believes the tenants will primarily consist of people aged 55-years and older, a factor that would prevent the development from financially burdening the school system or other town services.
While the project can not be officially limited to people aged 55 and older, both Ciccatelli and Town Planner Michael Gallerani claim that most potential buyers will be older Stoneham residents seeking to move out of their current homes and into a smaller dwelling.
"Under national laws, you have to have a minimum of five acres of land [for a 55-plus development] and we have 1.3 acres. However, it just so happens that the people who have expressed interest are 55 and older. So most of the people living there will be older and they won't be putting people into the school system. In terms of trash pick-up and snow removal, those are condominium expenses, so the town won't be picking those costs up either," Ciccatelli claimed.
"By design, I think [the owners] are trying to appeal to the empty nesters, which is a good thing because I think that's going to be one of the strong demand segments in the next few years," added Gallerani, who has not officially reviewed the project.
While passing the article would represent a significant step forward for the project, the development would still require a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals for the side setbacks, a special permit from the Planning Board for containing more than two units, and site plan approval from the Board of Selectmen before construction can begin.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the warrant article on October 22 at 9:00 pm in the Town Hall's hearing room prior to October's Town Meeting.
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