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ZBA approves special permit to convert Globe Mill at 460 Globe Street into 89 market‑rate apartments
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special permit for Masskan Capital LLC to convert the Globe Yarn Mill at 460 Globe Street into 89 market‑rate apartments, subject to site plan review, stormwater controls and historic commission approvals.
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special permit allowing Masskan Capital LLC to convert the Globe Yarn Mill at 460 Globe Street into 89 market‑rate residential units with one parking space per unit and site‑specific parking‑dimension adjustments, contingent on site plan review, historic commission approvals and stormwater controls.
Engineer Katie Enright (Howard Stein Hudson) described the 74,000‑square‑foot parcel that spans between Globe and Griffin streets and a large underused mill building the applicant proposes to convert into 89 apartments (4 studios, 57 one‑bedrooms, 28 two‑bedrooms). Enright said the project preserves the historic mill shell, adds landscaping, improves pedestrian connections between Globe and Griffin, restripes and reorganizes the surface parking to yield 89 spaces (one per unit), and creates enclosed dumpster and loading areas. The plan reduces some aisle widths to 20 feet and shortens certain stall lengths to achieve efficient layout where parking is only on one side; major curb cuts on Globe and Griffin are consolidated and several openings are reduced to improve sidewalks and pedestrian connectivity.
The applicant intends to use federal and state historic tax credits as part of a capital stack that exceeds $20 million, according to a supporting letter from the Bristol County Economic Development consultant. Planning staff told the board they had worked with the applicant to minimize curb cuts and maximize pedestrian access; staff said they had no objection to the requested parking adjustments given the building’s mill context and the project’s onsite parking provision.
The board found the special permit would not be substantially more detrimental to the area and approved the conversion with conditions that include site plan review, stormwater and infiltration measures appropriate to the near‑100% paved condition, consolidated curb cuts and pedestrian improvements on Globe and Griffin, a screened dumpster/enclosure, and historic commission approvals where required. The motion passed by unanimous vote of members present.
