Cunningham: Got parking?
Published on May 24th, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - The town's Planning Board recently authorized a local builder to delay the planned construction of a parking garage at the Love's Furniture redevelopment on Main Street until March of 2007.
According to Planning Board Chairman August Niewenhous, Stoneham resident Joseph Cunningham requested that the local authority waive a special permit condition requiring him to construct an 82-space parking garage before any occupancy permits were issued for the residential project.
Cunningham, who previously obtained permissions from the Zoning Board, Planning Board, and Board of Selectmen in the fall and summer of 2004, is constructing 4,000 square feet of retail space topped by a 48-unit condo development at what was once the dilapidated Love's Furniture building.
"We have approved some temporary parking. He can convey units for any combination that adds up to no more than 36-spaces or 36-units," confirmed Niewenhous, explaining that each residential bedroom must be linked to at least one parking space under the waiver.
"The conditions are that he has a lease for those spaces and that he must pull a permit for a parking garage with the building inspector," added the Planning Board Chairman, who detailed the temporary parking location as being located adjacent to the mixed-use development.
According to attorney Mark Vaughan, who represents Cunningham, his client currently plans to seek an amendment to the special permit that would allow him to construct a four deck parking garage at the rear of the property - a height rising two-stories higher than originally proposed.
Hoping that the Planning Board would accept such a modification, as some concern was raised during the public hearing process about a perceived lack of parking at the site, Vaughan stressed that the original 82-space parking deck meets all zoning requirements.
However, since construction has begun on the residential project, the local builder has found that a demand does exist for additional parking for the condominiums.
"It's not that we need that from a zoning perspective, because we are grandfathered in. But I think there's the realization that one space per unit, while adequate, might not be ideal," the local attorney and Stoneham resident said.
"I would think that the permitting authorities would be supportive of having more than one-space [per bedroom], because that was a concern expressed during the hearings," Vaughan added.
When asked how he felt about a possible amendment to increase parking availability, Niewenhous opined that additional spaces would be a benefit to the development. However, citing wild public speculation about the project, the Planning Board Chairman declined to comment on the merits of any specific plans, such as one that would seek to increase the height of the parking deck.
"If he wishes to propose more, that probably wouldn't be a negative thing," Niewenhous said about the general idea of having more parking at the mixed-use development. "But that's not before us, so it wouldn't be fair to comment on it."
"[This project] has been wrapped around misinformation and misstatements. A lot of people are creating rumors. And so far, he's done everything required of his special permit," the Planning Board Chairman later claimed.
While Niewenhous refused to comment on any specific proposals, two local residents who questioned the site's parking availability welcomed the idea of tacking additional spaces onto the parking deck.
According to former Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello, who praised Cunningham's work at the site to date, he always felt that the local builder lacked enough spaces to accommodate the demands of perspective condo buyers.
"I think it's a wise idea. You really can't sell a condo without parking," the just-retired town official said. "And if you remember, I said in the beginning that, 'If you don't give them parking, they're not going to move.'
Although more critical of the local developer for not coming before the Planning Board for a modification earlier, Elm Street resident Edie Previdi also endorsed reported plans to erect a four-story parking deck.
However, the local citizen, who similarly doubted the adequacy of the original parking plan, felt that Cunningham should be forced to pay some type of surety to ensure that the garage was constructed as soon as possible.
"All I care about is that he has enough parking. I think that's what he should be doing and that he should have been doing it from the beginning," Previdi commented. "So I think it's great he's doing this."
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