New office complex proposed for BRMC site
Published on May 21st, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - The town's Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will consider a proposal this Thursday to build a 225,000 square foot office building at the former Boston Regional Medical Center (BRMC) site.
According to local attorney Charles Houghton, who represents Burlington-based The Gutierrez Company, his client wants to raze the existing hospital building a build a state-of-the-art office complex on a ten-acre portion of the Woodland Road site, located across from Spot Pond and nearby the Winchester Line.
The ZBA is expected to deliberate on the request at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall on Thursday night. The project, to be dubbed the Langwood Executive Center, requires variances for a variety of reasons, including for parking, front, and side setbacks, the height of the buildings, and proposed vegetative buffers.
Last November, when the Gutierrez Company deeded over a portion of the BRMC parcel to a group of doctors in the medical condo building, the ZBA also granted the developer permission to rehab the existing hospital building.
Those doctors have now filed suit against the Gutierrez Company for that ZBA decision, arguing that the board should have reopened hearings on a proposed housing project at the site.
Gutierrez, who has teamed up with Colorado-based Simpson Housing, LP, has received local permissions to construct a 405-unit townhouse, condo, and apartment development at the BRMC site.
In particular, the doctors are arguing that because the Gutierrez Company is no longer proposing to modify site driveways or commit to roadway improvements, the ZBA should have considered that change significant, leading to a reopening of the public hearing process.
According to Houghton, should the ZBA deny the proposal for a new office building, the Burlington developer will proceed with a rehab of the existing hospital. Currently, there are no planned tenants for the office complex, which would not be constructed until such an agreement is in place.
"We could rehab the existing building, because that's all permitted," Houghton explained. "Now what we're talking about his tearing the hospital down and building a new one. We'd rather do a new modern building."
According to Mike Ryan, the Executive Director for the Friends of the Fells, he does not necessarily have a problem with the office building proposal. However, Ryan does oppose the overall project, and suspects that the applicants are attempting to receive piecemeal approvals to avoid Mass. Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office jurisdiction.
"The question that comes up is if you look at all the Langwood Commons proposals in the past, they've always included as inseparable, office and residential [uses]," said Ryan, who has opposed development plans at the BRMC for nearly a decade now.
"So they're kind of phasing the project here. That makes sense from a construction viewpoint, but based on MEPA regulations, this project has to be looked at in terms of the impacts in its entirety," the Melrose resident added.
According to MEPA spokeswoman Lisa Capone, her office has concluded that the proposal, as presented, will not require any action from the state.
Referring to a letter sent to Gutierrez Company representatives last February, Capone confirmed that the state agency agrees with the developer that if state permits are not required, MEPA has no jurisdiction over the project.
However, that same letter concludes that if the developer does seek any state permits or funding, and the project exceeds certain environmental impact thresholds (such as drawing more than 3,200 new vehicle trips per day), MEPA will retain its right to analyze the proposal.
"It's no longer under MEPA jurisdiction. I think that's clearly stated," the spokeswoman said. "But, if there was a change, there would be a notice of project change required."
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