Lowell planning board approves 24-unit site plan at 50 Payne Street

The Lowell Planning Board on Feb. 20 approved a site plan for GreenTree Properties LLC to redevelop 50 Payne Street — a former livery depot — into 24 townhouse-style condominium units, voting 5–0 to approve the plan with conditions.

The project seeks to convert a largely dilapidated, underused industrial lot near Clemente Park and the Upper Pawtucket Canal into three residential buildings (two multi‑unit buildings and one duplex), with on-site garages and parking, private trash service and a proposed deeded 12.5-foot corridor to connect to a future canal walkway. John Gary, attorney for the applicant, said the buildings are "dilapidated and unfit for any use whatsoever" and described the proposal as zoning-compliant and subject to site plan review under section 11.4 of the city ordinance.

The board and applicant emphasized immediate site engineering and long-term coordination with city utilities. Matt Hammer, the project's engineer, described a temporary holding solution for combined-storm sewer surges in the area: "We have an 8,000-gallon tank," he said, explaining the tank would hold sewer/storm flow during intense rainfall and then pump to the sewer system when capacity returned. The plan also includes infiltration trenches and catch basins to manage run‑off.

Board members said staff comments were generally supportive and noted the project will add housing, remove a blighted property and tie into ongoing park improvements. A nearby resident, Vesna Anuwen, said she "strongly support[s] this project," citing improved lighting, public safety and an expanded tax base.

Key technical and regulatory points raised during the hearing included: the site is in the Downtown Lowell Historic District and the historic board granted a historic permit on Dec. 9; the property lies partly within a mapped floodplain, so the applicant will present compensatory storage and seek conservation commission review; the project proposes 46 parking spaces (exceeding the parking requirement cited by staff), and private trash collection and snow removal contracts. The applicant also agreed to hire a landscape designer and to have the final landscape plan approved by the Department of Planning and Development (DPD).

At the close of public comment and board discussion, a member moved to approve the site plan with conditions including: removal of snow off-site as needed to maintain vehicle access; deed or easement of a 12.5-foot strip on the eastern edge of the property to the city for future access; final landscaping approval by DPD; continued coordination with city engineering and stormwater staff on final utility/stormwater design; restrictions on parking on the access drive to be enforced by signage and condominium documents; and posting no-parking signs on the south side of the access road. The motion was seconded and carried 5–0. The chair recorded a yes vote; the tally announced at the meeting was five in favor, none opposed.

The board approval is limited to the site plan review before it; the applicant will still need final construction drawings and must coordinate the final stormwater/wastewater details with city engineers and the conservation commission as required. The applicant noted the city has a multiyear sewer separation project planned for the area, and the temporary holding system is intended to avoid interfering with that future work.