By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Zoning Board of Appeals last week got its first look at a self-storage facility proposed at 50 Quannapowitt Parkway. In anticipation of such a proposal, the 2024 Annual Town Meeting overwhelmingly voted to amend the Zoning Bylaw to allow self storage in certain areas of the town, including 50 Quannapowitt Parkway.
Local attorney Brian McGrail represented the applicant, PACK Self Storage LLC, which is seeking several Special Permits from the ZBA related to the proposal.
At the request of ZBA chairman Thomas Lucey, McGrail provided a broad overview of the proposal, with specific elements to be examined by the board in greater depth at future meetings.
McGrail said that if the requested relief is granted, PACK Self-storage will acquire the property from current owners, Related Beal, which at one time owned much of the real estate at the head of the Lake.
The property in question is located just west of 100 Quanappowitt Parkway, an office building owned and managed by R.J. Kelly Co. The property sits between Quannapowitt Parkway, North Avenue and the on-ramp to Route 95 north.
McGrail said that the large open area has been well-maintained by Beal over the years, but it was always anticipated that at some point the land would be developed. He said that during COVID, housing was considered for the site, but that idea was abandoned. By comparison, he maintained, self-storage is an extremely low-impact use, with minimal traffic, lighting and parking needed.
McGrail added that the vacant property generates about $53,000 in taxes annually for the town but once developed could bring in more than $200,000.
Self-storage comes with very little demand for public services like police or fire and has no impact on the school system, unlike housing, McGrail stressed.
McGrail pointed out that a significant portion of the property would be preserved in perpetuity as public open space. He added that his client is committed to designing an attractive building that does not look like a self-storage facility.
He said that the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt have been brought into the process.
The self-storage building would occupy a small footprint (12 percent of the site) and would be set well back from Quannapowitt Parkway, closer to Route 95.
There will be a small parking area on the side of the proposed building facing North Avenue, McGrail said, and all loading and unloading will take place inside the building.
McGrail displayed a landscaping plan showing the area that will remain open space, with walkways, trees, shrubs and benches that he said would be an enhancement to the Lake.
He also showed renderings of the proposed building, which he said would have solar panels on the roof.
McGrail noted that the Conservation Commission also has jurisdiction due to the nearby wetland. He said that a Notice of Intent has been filed with the ConCom with a hearing anticipated in August.
ZBA members had a positive reaction to the opening presentation and liked the architectural design.
Friends of Lake Quannapowitt president Bill Boodry said that the FOLQ board had discussed the proposal in detail and voted unanimously to support it due to its limited scale and minimal impact on the Lake.
Representatives of direct abutter R.J. Kelly Co., owners of the office building at 100 Quannapowitt Parkway, were less enthusiastic.
Shawn Smith, a senior Vice President at R.J. Kelly, said that his firm believes that the project does not meet the Special Permit criteria. He disagreed that the project would benefit the area, maintaining that the building would cast a “deep shadow” on the R.J. Kelly building. He said that tenants of 100 Quannapowitt Parkway have expressed concerns.
Smith said that R.J. Kelly has been developing self-storage facilities for over 30 years and likely would have pursued a proposal of their own if they had known the site was suited for self-storage.
Smith also expressed concerns over fire safety and stormwater, noting the high water table and other wetland-related concerns.
He noted that R.J. Kelly was “fully cooperative” with Cabot Cabot & Forbes housing development currently under construction at 200-400 Quannapowitt Parkway, but said that the proposed self-storage facility “will detract from our ability to lease our building at 100 Quannapowitt Parkway.”
Ian Pickrell from R.J. Kelly said that office tenants at 100 Quannapowitt Parkway enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and the view of the Lake. He said that the proposed facility would be detrimental to those tenants and raised concerns regarding their long-term viability at 100 Quannapowitt Parkway.
ZBA chairman Thomas Lucey noted that the proposed location of the self-storage facility would not block the view of the Lake for any tenants of 100 Quannapowitt Parkway. He asked the representatives of R.J. Kelly to focus their comments on issues related to the Special Permits and matters under the ZBA’s control.
Lucey also made note of the “irony” of a company whose business includes self-storage raising objections to a self-storage facility.
The ZBA continued the hearing to its Aug. 13 meeting, at which time the board expects to delve deeper into the architecture, massing and site plan.