Council approves special permit for four townhouses at 47 Railroad Street

The council held a hearing on Special Permit 25‑8, proposed by Early Contractors (applicant Richard Early Jr.) to replace an existing nonconforming auto‑repair/machine shop and contractor’s yard at 47 Railroad Street with one attached building containing four for‑sale townhouses.

Attorney Donald Bornstein, representing the applicant, said the lot is roughly 12,600 square feet and the existing building is in substantial disrepair. The proposal calls for four attached three‑bedroom units of about 1,800 square feet each with an under‑building two‑car garage per unit and two driveway parking spaces in front of the garages — 16 off‑street spaces in total, which the applicant said is twice the city’s required parking for the site. Bornstein noted the project will still require detailed site‑plan review with city staff and building‑permit approvals.

Neighbor James Allen spoke in support, saying redevelopment would be a “100% improvement” over the current blighted condition. Several councilors praised the project as providing homeownership opportunities, off‑street parking and neighborhood improvement. Councilors asked about price range, sidewalks and whether the building would match the renderings; the applicant said no final price had been set but he expected “middle‑of‑the‑market” sale prices and that the scale, scope and appearance shown in the drawings would generally remain, with minor changes possible during site‑plan review.

A motion to approve the special permit with departmental conditions passed on roll call by a vote of 10–0–1. The decision sends the applicant to the city’s site‑plan review process to finalize construction details.