Residents Hear More on CBD Zoning

A developer hoping to build in the Center Business District  (CBD) just filed applications with the Zoning Board of Appeals for two variances.  The developer also plans to file an appeal to a letter written by Building Inspector Al Legee.

At an informational meeting on Tuesday night at the EB Newton, with the Planning Board, the assistant town manager and an architect working on zoning maps in the area, a crowd of residents listened as Michael Wang, an architect and planner with Form and Place, presented several zoning maps that existed. He also had created maps with overlays. One map showed the parkland area that is Ingleside Park that has no zoning, and is owned by the Town.

“This is an analysis of the zoning,” said Assistant Town Manager David Rodrigues. “Zoning is a policy statement about the future.”

“During the past few weeks it has become apparent that confusion exists as to the boundaries of the Center Business District as shown on the current Town of Winthrop zoning map,” Legee wrote in his letter. Legee’s absence at the meeting had many of the people there questioning why not.

The maps can be seen in the town clerk’s office and town website, they include a map from 2014 another map from 2006 that includes a street and zoning plan. Some are clear, some appear not to line up.

“The 2006 street and zoning plan showed only streets,” Wang said. “No property lines. The 2014 map by MACP it is easier to read the business district.”

The maps presented at the meeting were drafts.

Envelo Properties of Boston and Newport purchased the property at 1026 Somerset (the former Dollar Store) for $1.2 million over a year ago after being vacant for 10 years.

Attorney James Cipoletta, who represents developer Joanna Schwartz and Envelo Properties, said yesterday that he filed a petition with the Zoning Board of Appeal two variances – one for height, one for dimensional requirements.

“I am happy that the town is going through this process as you call it. I am also very confounded at the moment, encouraged but confounded. This is the first step of the process. The reality goes on mortgage payments go on, people who are living this everyday. Who have been dealing with this process for many years at this point.

I look at this map. I was here before the Planning Board three weeks ago and a letter was read from the zoning officer, who now is somehow not included in this process and who ruled my property abuts residential district – which I vehemently disagree with.”

She added that this sends her project into a very long, a costly and very uncertain approval process with the town. She contends here property does not abut a residential district.

“But confounded as to how the town got to a point three weeks ago the official zoning officer is making a ruling and three weeks later, in public, being the official mantra of the town. The official map of the town is different and now is being presented as a being of a process,” Schwartz said.

“The zoning enformement officer was held independent of this process,” said Rodrigues. “He’s never seen these maps. We’re viewing these for future projects.”