Planning board backs 100-unit Park Street project with 15 inclusionary units, sets conditions on parking and traffic

Chelsea’s Planning Board on Tuesday recommended approval of the major site plan and related special permits for a proposed 100-unit mixed-use project at 105–115 Park Street, after hearing traffic analysis and a neighborhood meeting summary from the petitioner.

The project, presented by Anthony Rossi for the petitioner, would include seven ground-floor retail units, 100 residential units and 15 inclusionary (affordable) units. The petitioner said the revised unit mix increases two- and three-bedroom units to about 40% of the total and that six of the 15 inclusionary units will be two- or three-bedroom units.

The board’s recommendation includes multiple conditions: a shared parking scheme limited by condition to 10 spaces for retail and 40 for residents in the building’s garage, submission of a landscape and lighting plan, installation of signage and roadway markings to City and MUTCD standards, a request to the traffic commission to consider making Ellsworth Street one-way, and a fenced buffer along the Ellsworth property line to protect a proposed playground area.

Why it matters: The project would add a substantial number of housing units and new retail frontage to a central Chelsea corridor. The petitioner and the board emphasized both housing supply and traffic impacts, and the board attached conditions intended to limit immediate impacts on parking and pedestrian safety.

Traffic and access: Scott Thornton, the traffic consultant, described a study based on the 100-unit scheme and existing nearby background developments. He said, “we think that 5 bus lines that run 5 days a week, 4 bus lines that run 7 days a week provide a real attractive option to people that may not have a car or don't want to have a car.” Thornton’s analysis found many study intersections operate with modest delay (about 10–15 seconds) but identified several locations along Broadway and the Congress/Park/Pearl area that show substantial delays (more than 50 seconds).

Thornton noted a state TIP-funded corridor improvement project for the Park/Pearl area (design in 2027; construction more likely in 2030, per the petitioner’s presentation) that was incorporated into the traffic study. As part of site-level mitigation the petitioner and consultant recommended reconfiguring Ellsworth Street to one-way southbound to reduce vehicle weaving and queuing near the site; the board’s recommendation asks the petitioner to request that change from the traffic commission (the planning board cannot itself require the traffic commission to act).

Neighborhood and program details: The project team said they met with neighbors and revised the unit mix in response to feedback. The petitioner also said existing retail tenants displaced by a prior fire have been invited to return and that some retail spaces are being sized to accommodate a laundromat and a convenience store. Developer representatives said the playground on the lower level will be fenced and gated; “we're gonna actually work with the city to try to make this a playground that the neighborhood can use as a whole, not just for the building,” Anthony Rossi told the board.

Board action: The planning board voted to recommend approval of the special permit(s), the major site plan review and the special buffer permit with the conditions noted above. Several members abstained on some votes; the motions were otherwise carried by the board and will proceed to the next required steps (zoning board where applicable and permit issuance). The record shows changes to a proposed parking condition after discussion; the board substituted language providing 10 retail spaces and 40 residential spaces in shared-use parking as a condition.

Timeline and next steps: The petitioner estimated permitting, construction drawings and financing could take several months after the appeal period and suggested a 12–16 month construction timeline once financing and drawings were in place. The state corridor improvements used in the traffic study are currently in the TIP program with design slated for 2027 and construction likely later (presenters cited 2030 as a plausible construction year).