By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — At their meeting this week, members of the Zoning Board of Appeals seemed mostly pleased with the direction of plans for a proposed 40B affordable housing development at 596 North Ave. The site is just north of the Knights of Columbus building.
Earlier this year, North Ave. Wakefield, LLC filed an application for a Comprehensive Permit pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 40B to develop a 38-unit residential dwelling.
But at a hearing last March, ZBA members asked Regnante Sterio LLP, the attorneys for the project, to revise the building style to make it blend in better with the single-family homes on North Avenue. But mostly, board members thought the project as proposed was too big.
The ZBA assigned a subcommittee of Jim McBain and Tom Lucey, along with the board’s affordable housing consultant, to work with the developer’s representatives to make the project more palatable.
Peter Sandorse of Phoenix Architects, the designers of the project, appeared at this week’s meeting of the full ZBA to discuss the changes that had come from the subcommittee meetings.
Sandorse displayed new renderings based on a revised plan for a somewhat smaller building. He showed reductions in width and other design changes intended to reduce the appearance of size. Among the changes were the complete elimination of all balconies on the original plans.
ZBA member Chip Tarbell said that he appreciated the progress that had been made.
“It’s starting to get a more residential feel,” he said, adding that he would like to see it softened even more with landscaping.
ZBA Chairman David Hatfield agreed.
“It seems to be headed in the right direction architecturally,” he said, adding that he liked the way the design was broken up to reduce the appearance of size.
Landscape architect Eliot Brundage showed the latest landscape plans, consisting of a mix of street trees, native plants and evergreens to soften the building, including around the entryway. Some red maples were proposed for the rear parking lot along the edge of the wetland.
Tarbell said that he was OK with the direction of the landscape plan.
He wondered if there should be some kind of communal amenity space, such as grilling stations, off to one side of the building. Brundage talked about the possibility of adding such a space.
The hearing was continued to the board’s Aug. 17 meeting.