Developers preview 55‑unit plan for 236 Broadway; board flags parking, height and traffic

Attorney Pete Nicosia, representing 236 Broadway Street LLC, told the City of Lowell Board of Appeals on Oct. 22 that his clients are proposing a mixed‑use addition at 236 Broadway Street consisting of seven new floors above the existing single‑story adult day care, totaling roughly 55 residential units.

The presentation described a mix of studio, one‑bedroom and two‑bedroom units and asked the board to provide early, non‑binding feedback on zoning relief the project may seek, including relief from on‑site parking requirements and floor‑area ratio (FAR) calculations. Nicosia said the team has run draft materials past city departments and the historical commission and is continuing outreach to refine the design before formal application to the zoning board of appeals and planning board. "We're here conceptually to take your constructive input," Nicosia said.

Board members focused their questions on three principal concerns: parking, height/density and traffic. Board member McCarthy noted the proposal would yield an FAR the team described as roughly 4.66 versus a 4.0 benchmark discussed in comments, and asked the applicants to consider a smaller project or additional parking so the development could approach about one parking space per unit. "I would suggest that we look at a smaller development here ... and that you really work on getting one space per unit for parking somehow," McCarthy said.

Members asked the applicants to clarify how many parking stalls are owned on‑site versus leased and how the existing adult day care and the nearby senior center currently use those stalls. The project team said the lot area is approximately 9,100 square feet with a building footprint near 5,100 square feet and that there are approximately 25 spaces available by lease that currently serve the site; the team said negotiations are underway with area landowners for additional leased spaces. Board members cautioned that leased parking can be a temporary solution: "The problem with leasing ... is it's a short term fix," board member Sheehan said, noting leases may not align with a building's full lifespan.

Members also requested additional studies and design work, including a focused traffic or queuing assessment to evaluate ingress/egress and event/peak‑period impacts near the Market Basket and senior center, and a light/view impact analysis to help address historic‑district concerns. Several members suggested scaling down the proposed height: proposals ranged in board commentary from reducing floors to five or six stories to a more modest reduction that would keep the addition more compatible with adjacent three‑story buildings.

Nicosia said the project team will continue department‑level coordination, meet with the historical commission and reach out to neighboring residents before a formal filing so neighbors see materials before a certified‑mail public hearing notice is issued. He also listed mitigation ideas included in the packet, such as off‑site leased parking, transit proximity and bicycle storage.

The board provided the applicant with nonbinding feedback only; no formal relief was requested or voted on at the hearing. The applicant signaled an intention to return with a refined design and, where possible, longer‑term parking solutions and a traffic assessment before submitting a zoning or planning application.

The project and the board's comments underscore recurring downtown development tensions in Lowell: demand for additional housing stock and the city's downtown overlay goals versus neighborhood scale, parking availability and historic‑district review.