Selectmen authorize redevelopment of four story Highland Building
Published on August 29th, 2007
STONEHAM, MA - Another significant change is set to sweep across the Stoneham Square area in the coming year.
In a unanimous vote this Tuesday, the Selectmen authorized a 20,000 square foot commercial redevelopment of the Highland Printing building at 409-413 Main Street.
According to local attorney Charles Houghton, representing petitioner Frank Petrillo, his client is seeking to raze the entire structure to rebuild a new four-story building, which will stand over a parking garage with ten spaces.
The structure, which will stand roughly 45 feet tall, will contain retail businesses on the first floor, with the upper space being dedicated for business condominiums.
Although the exact number of offices in the project hasn’t been determined, the applicant is reportedly planning on having space for at least ten separate condominiums.
“There are two separate pieces of land which we would combine together,” the local lawyer explained. “Years ago, if anybody remembers, this was the old Town Hall and police station. Then there was a fire there and it knocked down the building. So we would be restoring it to its original height.”
Highland Printing owner Harry Paicopolos, who was also represented by Houghton, failed in a winter of 2005 bid to construct a residential condo redevelopment at the site.
At the time, the local businessman had hoped to mimic local builder Joseph Cunningham’s Love’s Furniture building redevelopment, which was approved shortly prior as a mixed-use project with first floor retail space topped by 48 condominiums.
When Paicopolos’ proposal was rejected by the Selectmen, the lack of parking at the site was cited as the primary issue, as several town officials had maintained that there was a shortage of spaces in the Stoneham Square area at the time.
“We’re proposing something new for the square, being offices instead of residential,” Houghton said. “Every unit, if there’s ten, would get a spot [in the garage]. Hopefully, this would be a start in moving the square even more forward.”
According to Houghton, Petrillo had already received a special permit for parking from the Planning Board and a variance from the Zoning Board that waives the requirement for a 24 foot aisle in garages with two-way traffic.
The local attorney, who made the same argument during Paicopolos’ failed attempt to redevelop the property in 2005, maintained that regardless of popular perception, there is no parking shortage in Stoneham Square.
To bolster that argument, the Selectmen were presented with a parking study of the downtown area.
“The Planning Board did look at the parking issue. There’s 773 spaces on-street and off-street within 600 feet of this location. So keep that in mind,” Houghton contended.
“The perception is that if you go there on a Saturday at 11 a.m. and want to park in front of Anthony’s, you can’t do that. But otherwise, there is adequate parking at the square,” the attorney furthered.
However, one resident, the first to purchase a unit at the Love’s Furniture redevelopment, strongly disagreed with Houghton’s reasoning.
According to the project opponent, who did not identify himself, the Residences at Stoneham Square project itself was likely to cause parking problems, as builder Joseph Cunningham has reportedly backed-off of plans to build a parking garage at the site.
Despite being told that the Love’s Furniture project had met its parking requirements, the Stoneham Square resident still resisted, claiming that spaces were difficult to find in the area.
“I do have a concern about parking. The configuration in the Love’s construction has changed. I don’t know if the board is aware of that,” the local resident said. “The building we’re being told, is going to be fully occupied. So we’re concerned.”
According to Houghton, who believed that Cunningham had met his 82 spot requirement by obtaining off-site parking, in any event, his client shouldn’t be held responsible for the shortfalls of surrounding properties.
Selectman John DePinto, who ultimately motioned to approve the site plan, later agreed with Houghton, though he believed that the Love’s building developers should be brought back before the Selectmen for an explanation of the situation.
“We may have to build a garage of our own,” said DePinto of parking trends in the square. “But obviously, we’re enforcing the parking and traffic is going to move now. Otherwise, people will get tagged.”
“I understand this gentleman’s concern, because when we approved he Love’s project, one of our Selectmen said if they didn’t build a garage, they should come back before us,” he added.
As part of the approval, Petrillo will be allowed to park and store equipment in municipal parking spaces located to the rear of the project.
According to Houghton, because of the layout of the downtown area, there was no other way to redevelop the building, other than storing the construction equipment on Main Street.
In return for the use of the municipal lot, which will take a few weeks during the demo this fall and a number of months during construction next spring, the applicant has reportedly agreed to add five more spots at the lot and to pay for the costs of any damages to the area.
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