By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD —— The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved some minor modifications to the landscape plan for Cabot Cabot & Forbes’ redevelopment project at the head of the Lake. At its August meeting, the ZBA also received a progress report on the demolition of the structure currently on the site, which was originally home to American Mutual and later, Comverse Technologies.
CC&F’s planned redevelopment includes 440 residential units in three buildings as well as a restaurant on the site.
Brian McGrail, the local attorney for the project, appeared at the ZBA’s August meeting along with Matt D’Amico, development manager at Cabot Cabot & Forbes, and landscape architect Allison Desbonnet of Copley Wolff Design Group.
McGrail presented the proposed minor modifications to the landscape plan, which he noted had previously been modified last March. He explained that the latest modifications would not alter the quantity of plantings on the site, but would change the species for some of the plantings and the location of others.
He said that now that the project is progressing, the landscape architect has had an opportunity to look more closely at soils and light conditions on the site. He said the result was a modified plan that will provide plantings with the best chance of survival.
As promised previously, there will still be 116 deciduous trees on the site along with 70 ornamental trees and 2,353 shrubs. The quantity of perennial grasses and ground-cover planned for the site also remains the same.
Plans to transplant some trees to different parts of the site were adjusted to relocate them to areas where they will be less likely to suffer future disturbance.
McGrail and D’Amico confirmed that the Conservation Commission has seen the modified landscape plan and had no objections.
ZBA member Chip Tarbell said that he had no problem with the changes to the landscape plan. Given the size and scope of the project, he said, there would likely be more revisions to come. He commended the development team for doing the work to adjust the plan as conditions dictate.
The board voted unanimously to accept the changes as minor modifications to the approved plans.
D’Amico also provided a general progress update on the project. He reported that demolition permits were issued at the end of July. He said that the interior remediation for asbestos and other hazardous materials is complete and the entire single story on the south side of the site has been demolished. Much of the pavement on the site has also been demolished, he said.
About four months of demolition activity remain, D’Amico added, and the process should be finished by Christmas. They will then begin preparing the site for foundation work.
Tarbell asked if the old concrete was being recycled on site. D’Amico said that that process is being handled in consultation with MassDEP.
He added that site walks are done weekly, and reports are issued to the Conservation Commission related to all relevant activity on the site.
D’Amico said the project is ahead of schedule, adding that the site is very complicated from a geotechnical standpoint. He said the schedule still calls for first occupancy in 2025 with full occupancy by the end of 2026.