Zoning Board of Appeals notebook
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — An 18-unit residential complex proposed at 154 and 158 Salem St. will be reduced in size by up to three units. That’s what attorney Brian McGrail told the Zoning Board of Appeals at a hearing on the project last week.
McGrail represents the applicant, Nicholas Leo, who initially proposed a development consisting of one single-family detached home and 17 single-family attached units.
McGrail told the ZBA that he was not certain how many units would be cut from the plan but suggested that it would likely be two or three.
McGrail asked the ZBA to assign one member to work offline with the development team to provide input as the project is reduced in size and reconfigured. The ZBA assigned member Chip Tarbell to work with the development team on architecture and other aspects of the project.
McGrail noted that the project has been before the Traffic Advisory Committee twice. The TAC’s traffic consultant has issued a memo finding that the project “will not have a significant impact on the adjacent roadways.”
Several neighbors spoke at the hearing, expressing concern about traffic speed, flooding and the impact of the project on wildlife.
McGrail noted that the project also has to go before the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board. He said that he intends to keep all of the hearings open until all three boards are satisfied.
The ZBA continued the hearing until its Feb. 12 meeting.
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The ZBA approved what amounts to temporary signage for “Ellie’s Pizza” at 21 Princess St. (the former location of Phuket Thai Restaurant).
Co-owner Endri Kume proposed placing high-quality, vinyl stickers for the new pizza business over the old Phuket hanging bracket sign on Princess Street as well as the existing wall-mounted sign next to the front door.
Board members were skeptical that vinyl stickers over the existing signs would look as good as they would like.
Ultimately, the board agreed to allow the stickers over the existing signs in the short term so that Ellie’s Pizza can open as scheduled this week with signage in place. But they asked that the business come back within six months with a plan for more permanent signage.
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ZBA chairman Thomas Lucey reported that board’s recent decisions denying two 40B affordable housing proposals on Nahant Street were officially filed last week. The separate developers of the 100-unit project at 119 Nahant St. and the 22-unit proposal at 32 Nahant Steet now have a specified time period in which to appeal the local denials to the state Housing Appeals Committee, Lucey noted.
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ZBA voting member Michael Feeley, whose term is up, announced that he will not be seeking re-appointment to the board.