Selectmen endorse 200 units on Maple St.
Published on May 2nd, 2007
STONEHAM, MA - The town's Board of Selectmen unanimously backed a 200-unit senior living development along a 5.5-acre parcel along Maple Street.
According to Riemer & Braunstein Attorney Mark Vaughan, representing local developers Joseph Cunningham and Patrick Keohane, his clients purchased the Plymouth Rock Trucking Terminal at 95 Maple Street in 2005 with the hopes of building a 55-plus residential development.
The property, located on Maple Street near the I-93 on and off-ramps at the Woburn line, is sandwiched between ClearChannel Outdoor and Montvale Avenue's Mobil station and medial office building.
Shortly after acquiring the large site, Cunningham and Keohane successfully petitioned Town Meeting in 2005 to create a zoning overlay district for a the 55-plus development. As part of that approval, both a special permit and site plan permissions were required.
"It's a very popular type of housing that has been heavily utilized by other communities," said Vaughan. "This type of housing has not been provided yet within the Town of Stoneham."
"We know there are many empty nesters who are looking to stay in town, but have had difficulty keeping up with the maintenance and upkeep of their home," the lawyer added.
According to the applicants, the 200-units would be dispersed throughout three five-story buildings and one four-story gatehouse. Two of the higher l-shaped structures would contain 72 dwellings each, with structured parking below.
Another larger building would accommodate 40 units, while the last 16 condominiums would be included in the gatehouse, which will also have some type of common gathering area. A total of 420 parking spaces would be offered at the residential development, half of which would be in underground garages.
During previous deliberations on the Conservation Commission and Planning Board levels, some concerned abutters and town officials worried about water runoff and storage at the site, as it is located adjacent to the Sweet Water Brook.
The property is also close-by the Montvale Avenue area flood plain, where ponding water often spreads into the Lidenwood Cemetery and adjacent Montvale Place retail shops during significant rain events.
"Given that is an issue that a lot of people focussed on, we really tried to go the extra mile with a water storage system," said Vaughan, explaining that unlike today all run-off would be stored in underground tanks and treated before being discharged.
According to the applicants, who pointed to the Love's Furniture renovation in Stoneham Square, the senior housing project would feature the same style of architecture and would have multiple pedestrian pathways, gazebos, and green spaces incorporated into the design.
Based upon estimates reportedly prepared by Asst. Town Accountant Ronald Castignetti, the project, when finished, would rain between $750,000 to $800,000 in annual tax revenue into Stoneham's coffers.
And unlike most large-scale residential projects, where officials often worry about municipal impacts to school services as families move in, the 55-plus designation would eliminate such concerns.
Specifically, Vaughan argued that besides the occasional public safety call, very few other drains on municipal resources would be required. In addition, because many residents would be retired, the impacts of the morning and afternoon commutes should also prove minimal, the local attorney furthered.
"It's probably not considered Stoneham's finest achievement," said Vaughan of the present day layout of the 5.5-acre site. "I would hope you would acknowledge the contrast between what's there today and what we've proposed."
"It's a marked difference that one that I think will be well-received by the community."
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