Petrillo to double size of former Highland Printing
Published on September 3rd, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - The town's Board of Selectmen unanimously endorsed a petition to double the size of an expansive Stoneham Square construction project along Main Street.
During Tuesday night's regular meeting, the Selectmen threw their support behind Frank Petrillo's bid to expand - by nearly 20,000 square feet - the size of his mixed commercial use project at the former site of the Highland Printing building.
Last August, town officials stamped their final approval on the construction of a new office building in Stoneham Square at the former printing shop, which once served as Town Hall and the Stoneham Police Station.
At the time, the lifelong mason and landscaping businessman unveiled a proposal to construct a four story office building, topping 10 underground parking spaces, at the property.
The 45-foot tall building, to be decorated with a brick and granite facade, was to include approximately 5,000 square feet of ground floor retail space, with three similar stories of office condominiums above.
Last January, Petrillo, who created a successful masonry and landscaping business with his father Aquilino, took a leap into the development world when they razed the building.
On Tuesday, Petrillo's attorney Charles Houghton explained that once Petrillo's neighbor returned to his adjacent building and found the old Highland Printing shop demolished, he offered to sell his own property.
Petrillo had previously made a pitch to buy the building, which housed Ronnie's Place and the Central Custom Tailoring shop, but his commercial neighbor had at that time refused.
Apparently, the abutter had thought that Petrillo's proposal, like a former mixed-use commercial and residential renovation plan before it, would end-up doomed before local officials.
"When the owner got home, he called up and said, 'I guess you were serious,'" explained Houghton. "Then they made an agreement to purchase."
According to Houghton, the new building would essentially mirror the old one in design, except that the size would double and the building's top height would climb an additional five feet.
Like the previous plan, the facade would be tastefully covered with brick and granite masonry, and a clock face would be added to the top of the structure. A total of 25 spaces, instead of 10, would be constructed underneath the building.
"It's now almost five-feet taller That's just basically because of construction, where we now have to use steel," the attorney explained.
Selectmen veteran Robert Sweeney was particularly interested in the handicapped accessibility to the site, and whether the developer still intended to follow-through on talks to purchase a 300 square foot parcel of land behind the proposed Main Street project.
By doing so, Houghton conceded, his client could square-off the back of the building in order to make accommodations for a second elevator.
"With a very small acquisition in the back, that would enable a second elevator in the building," the attorney explained. "That is something we would like to negotiate with the town."
Sweeney also wanted assurances that Petrillo, who must take over a portion of the municipal lot behind the building for construction staging, will rehab and re-stripe the parking area.
"That was a requirement of the DPW director that we repave and refinish it. And it will be laid-out differently, so there's a net gain of five parking spaces," Houghton responded.
With no one in attendance at last Tuesday's public hearing, the Selectmen approved the petition with little other debate.
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