By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Conservation Commission got its first look this week at a self-storage facility proposed at 50 Quannapowitt Parkway at the head of the Lake. The project comes under the Conservation Commission’s jurisdiction because of it proximity to wetlands. The Zoning Board of Appeals is also looking at the project and held its initial hearing in July.
In anticipation of such a proposal, the 2024 Annual Town Meeting overwhelmingly voted to amend the Zoning Bylaws to allow self-storage in certain areas of the town, including 50 Quannapowitt Parkway.
The property in question is located just west of 100 Quanappowitt Parkway, an office building owned and managed by R.J. Kelly Co. The site sits between Quannapowitt Parkway, North Avenue and the on-ramp to Route 95 north. If they are able to secure local permitting, 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.
Local attorney Brian McGrail is representing the applicant, PACK Self Storage, LLC.
McGrail told the Conservation Commission that the proposed facility will require minimal lighting, signage, parking and pavement, especially when compared to other potential uses such as residential. He also said that it would place little burden on municipal services while providing a positive tax impact.
His client is also committed to keeping a significant portion of the property as public open space, with benches and landscaping, McGrail said, adding that they have been working closely with the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt.
McGrail presented an overview of the property and showed the proposed site plan. He pointed out that the building would be set back on the property, away from the Lake. He noted that it would only occupy about a small area, leaving 83 percent of the site as open space. Multifamily housing or another type of commercial development would not be able to do that, he stressed.
He showed a landscape plan and noted that a professional landscape architect has been hired to design the public open space along Quannapowitt Parkway, which will be a kind of “pocket park” with trees, shrubs and five benches.
After displaying artist’s renderings of the proposed building, McGrail discussed the history of the property, including a longstanding dispute over the location of the wetland line. He said that his client would agree to abide by the most conservative line, affording the wetland the widest berth.
Conservation Commissioner Eleanor Axelrod noted that on the plans the paved parking lot appears to run right up against the wetland line and asked if the parking area could be pulled further back.
McGrail said that that he and his client had anticipated that concern and would look to see if an adjustment could be made.
Commissioner Jennifer Fanning asked about lighting on the site. McGrail said that the project would be “light-friendly” and promised to provide more information on the lighting plan to the Commission.
When the hearing was opened to the public, Friends of Lake Quannapowitt vice president Brie Reynolds told the Commission that the FOLQ board had supported the the Town Meeting zoning amendment that would allow self storage facilities.
Shawn Smith, a senior vice president at R.J. Kelly, which owns the abutting office building at 100 Quannapowitt Parkway, said that his firm was opposed to the project due to its size, proximity to the Lake and its potential impact on the wetlands.
As the Commission was trying to arrange their schedules around a site visit, Smith asked if the site visit would be open to the public.
McGrail replied that the site visit would be for the sole purpose of allowing ConCom members and the applicant’s representatives to view the land and not for any discussion purposes.
“We asked to get on your land and you wouldn’t let us on your land,” McGrail said, addressing Smith. “The applicant is entitled to be there, but there’s no obligation to allow anyone else on the property.”