Town Planning Board Considering Residential Development Proposals

At last week’s meeting, the planning board took up two proposed residential developments that have previously been before it.

One of those projects will head to the ZBA in October, while the second was continued to the planning board’s October meeting.

The proposed project at 63-69 Putnam St. is a mixed use (commercial/ residential) proposal for the redevelopment of the former Surf Cleaners building as part of the continued redevelopment of the 63- 69 Putnam Street lot. The proposed project was originally for 16 1-bedroom unit apartments with common area, gym, and 13 enclosed parking spaces. The adjoining building was redeveloped in 2005 and contains a commercial space which is occupied by a daycare and two two-bedroom apartments on the second floor.

At last week’s planning board meeting, project attorney Rebecca Edmondson came back with a revised plan for 14 units based on previous feedback from the planning board. Edmondson said the third and fourth floors facing Putnam Street have been terraced, and the project has reduced its parking count.

Edmondson said the project includes an additional inside parking spot, raising the total from 13 to 14, as well as an additional outside spot for the daycare business, raising that total from two to three.

“They reconfigured the building itself to provide for more space, more windows, especially on the ground level,” she said.

Planning board members said the changes were meaningful, but that the applicant would have to come back with more detailed plans before it could recommend approval of the project. The board also asked to see more detailed plans of the layouts of some of the units themselves.

The project will be before the ZBA in October before coming back to the planning board.

The second project that was back before the planning board last week was at 181 Winthrop St.

In May, the owner submitted a plan to develop and renovate the existing building to seven one-bedroom units in the Center Business District. The scope of the redevelopment was for the construction of seven residential units within the existing building and one retail space with a maximum building height of three stories, or 43-feet plus.

However, the applicants for the project were not able to make it to last week’s meeting, and the planning board continued it to the October meeting.

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