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Applicant withdraws 55 Lenox Street special-permit application after board objects to large parking waiver
Summary
The Norwood Planning Board accepted a request to withdraw a special-permit application for 55 Lenox Street after members said the developer27s request to waive most parking requirements was too large to approve.
Debbie Homewood, chair of the Norwood Planning Board, read the agenda item at the Planning Board meeting and said the public hearing for 55 Lenox Street was closed and could not be reopened because it would have required additional public notice.
The discussion that followed focused on a requested waiver of the town27s parking requirement for the proposed project. Planning Board member Joe said two issues stood out for him: the size of the building and the quantity of required parking. "There are 2 issues that stand out for me. 1 is the size of the project and the lack of parking with respect to the size of the project," Joe said, noting that the developer had told the board the larger building was necessary for feasibility.
Joe and other board members repeatedly said the Planning Board is not responsible for guaranteeing a developer27s profit and questioned whether the board should waive the town27s parking rules. Planning Board member Joe noted the zoning requires 1.1 parking spaces per unit and that granting the waiver before the board would reduce required spaces by about 38 or 39 spaces depending on rounding. "This waiver would request as too much as it would reduce that number of required spaces by 38 or 39, depending on whether we're rounding up or down," he said.
Board member Brian said he initially liked the project and acknowledged the site is appropriate for redevelopment, but after walking the neighborhood and reviewing parking access he concluded the proposed parking waiver was too substantial. "I came to the conclusion is too substantial," Brian said.
After discussion, the applicant said, "I'd like to withdraw my application, please." The Planning Board accepted the request and then voted to accept the withdrawal without prejudice. A motion to accept the withdrawal was made, seconded by Brian, and the roll call recorded yes votes from Ernie, Joe, Brian, Rob and the chair. The chair announced, "The application is withdrawn without prejudice." The applicant27s withdrawal means the board will not reach a decision on the underlying special-permit request at this meeting.
Background and context: the application had been scheduled originally for an earlier date and was continued; Homewood reminded the room that the board could not take comments from the public or the applicant because the public hearing record remained closed. Board members said they supported redevelopment in the downtown location but that the size of the proposed building and the requested off-site parking arrangements (including potential use of 15 spaces at a local dry cleaner) did not satisfactorily address the town27s parking standard.
The chair closed the item after the vote. The withdrawal was accepted "without prejudice," meaning the applicant may refile in the future.
Ending: Board members indicated the parking issue remains a substantive obstacle to approving a project of the proposed size at 55 Lenox Street and signaled they would expect future applications to meet the town27s parking standards or propose a narrower waiver.
