Published in the April 9, 2020 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The COVID-19 shutdown is not slowing down the efforts of Cabot Cabot & Forbes to redevelop the former American Mutual/Comverse site at the head of the Lake.
Officials from the real estate development giant met via teleconference on Tuesday evening with a select group of residents representing the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt, the Wakefield Center Neighborhood Association and others to unveil their latest preliminary proposal for a residential development at 200 Quannapowitt Parkway.
Representatives of Boston architectural firm Cube 3 showed new plans that reduced the number of proposed buildings from three to two but retained the same number of residential units — 600.
The original plan included two six-story rental apartment buildings and one five-story condominium building. Eliminated from the new proposal was the condominium building. In the latest plan, all 600 units will be rentals in two buildings that are shorter in height (five stories) but more spread out across the property.
In the latest proposal, the buildings are pulled back farther from the Lake. The buildings are also lower in height on the lakefront side, with three stories closest to the Lake and then “stepping up” to four and five stories toward the Route 128 side of the property. Each building will have its own internal parking garage, with limited surface parking on the site, in the new plans.
Brian O’Connor of Cube 3 pointed to the open space between the two buildings, which he said would create a “view corridor” of the Lake from the highway.
O’Connor showed a number of computer generated images to show the size and mass of the proposed buildings from various vantage points, including the approach from the North Avenue side, the Route 129 Rotary side and from across the Lake.
Main Street resident Julie Scott asked if fallout from the current virus-related business shutdown was impacting CC&F’s plans. She was concerned that the project could be built and then lie mostly vacant in the event of a serious economic downturn.
But Jay Doherty, CC&F’s chief executive officer, said that there is currently such a shortfall in housing the greater Boston area that he didn’t think the current financial climate would be a factor. He also noted that circumstances would likely be much different several years from now, once the project is built. He said that investors in these types of developments tend to be focused on much longer terms than just the next three or four years.
Doherty also maintained rental housing tends to do better in a down market as people are hesitant to purchase homes in uncertain economic times. Doherty added that CC&F would not be investing in this scale of development if they and their financial backers believed that the economy was headed for a major downturn.
It was noted that the monthly rent for the proposed units would likely range from $1,800 per month to $3,000 per month.
Bob Mitchell of Spaulding Street asked if there was a Chapter 40B affordable housing component to the project.
Doherty said that it was not a 40B project, but in compliance with the town’s inclusionary zoning bylaw, 18 percent of the units will be designated as “affordable” under guidelines set by the state.
Karen Faler of Lowell Street noted that people who use the Lake tend to be drawn to it for its tranquility, while CC&F was talking about adding amenities like paddleboarding and other active uses of the Lake.
Julie Scott also wanted a clearer definition of what CC&F meant when describing “amenities.” In particular, she was concerned about anything that might compete with Wakefield’s already struggling small businesses.
Doherty said that there was no intention to compete with local businesses.
Bob Wettach of Walden Road said that he was still concerned about the size and density of the project.
Representatives of CC&F said that they would take the input from this week’s meeting under advisement.
No official plans have been submitted to the town related to CC&F’s plans for 200 Quannapowitt Parkway. The proposed project will require Special Permits from the Zoning Board of Appeals as well as hearings by the Conservation Commission.