By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The chairmen of Wakefield’s three “land-use boards” were before the Town Council last night to talk about what their boards do and to provide updates on current and recent projects before them.
David Hatfield of the Zoning Board of Appeals, Matt Lowry of the Planning Board and Jim Luciani of the Conservation Commission each spoke briefly and then answered questions from the Town Council.
Hatfield led off and talked about how the ZBA applies the town’s Zoning Bylaws to applications for Special Permits, variances and findings related to pre-existing nonconforming uses or structures.
Hatfield said that since October of 2019, the board has deliberated or is currently deliberating on 111 applications. Those applications include variances, Special Permits, findings and/or determinations. He provided a list highlighting some of those, including Tarrant Lane, a Chapter 40B project consisting of 173 units; three mid-rise apartment buildings on Salem Street; 500 Main Street (the future location of Santander Bank’s Wakefield office) several projects on Foundry Street and others.
Ongoing hearings currently before the ZBA include: 200-400 Quannapowitt Parkway, a proposed multifamily/mixed-use project with 485 units; 44-48 Crescent St., a proposed 56-unit 40B project (currently reduced to 40 units); and 97-99 Water St., a proposed multifamily/mixed-use project with five units (currently reduced to four).
Hatfield also reminded the Town Council that Town Meeting approved Zoning changes in November 2015 encouraging multifamily/mixed-use developments in certain areas of town, including near public transit lines. He noted that most of those projects are revitalizing abandoned or underutilized properties, resulting in new tenants, new customers and a new tax base – but also more traffic.
He said that most (if not all) projects are consistent with the vision of Wakefield’s 2015-2020 Housing Plan, which defines and promotes Smart Growth Development in different areas of town.
Hatfield said that the ZBA shares concerns about the collective traffic impact of the Foundry Street projects and issued a letter to town officials in September 2018 outlining their concerns and recommendations.
Hatfield also provided a summary of the ZBA’s review process for proposed projects, which he noted can be highly detailed and take many months.
Town Council members asked questions about the size and density of some projects and asked how close Wakefield is currently to the 10 percent affordable housing threshold that will give the town more control over 40B projects. It was noted that Wakefield is currently at 6.7 percent, but several approved projects are not yet included because they have yet to file for building permits.
Planning Board chairman Matthew Lowry said that his board deals mainly with land use and subdivision. He said that subdivision is a right that all property owners have and the Planning Board’s role is to make sure it is done correctly and meets all the legal requirements. He noted that at this point there is not a lot of land in town to subdivide.
He said that other boards and town departments get to weigh in on proposed subdivisions and listed a few that are currently before the board or have been recently approved.
Lowry noted that the Planning Board is currently taking a comprehensive look at zoning around Lake Quannapowitt.
Conservation Commission Chairman Jim Luciani said that the commission has handled 14 Notice of Intent hearings in the past year as well as one Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (for the planned new Northeast Metro Tech school).
He said that the commission is currently involved with a plan by Camp Curtis Guild (which has 23 acres in Wakefield) to remove invasive plant species.
Luciani noted that the ConCom will have a significant role to play regarding Cabot Cabot & Forbes’ proposed 485-unit apartment complex at the head of the Lake. He said that the commission has hired a consultant to assist them with their analysis of the project’s impact on the Lake and other resource areas.
In response to a question from the Town Council, Luciani said that occasional joint meetings of the Conservation Commission, the ZBA and the Planning Board would be useful as they are often reviewing the same projects at the same time.