Developers pitch four‑story, nine‑unit building at 49 Brookside; commissioners press to reduce curb cuts and enclose egress

Developers presented a pre-application for a four‑story, nine‑unit apartment building at 49 Brookside Avenue at the commission’s April 14 meeting. The project proposed 22 parking spaces (17 under-building) and one affordable unit to meet the town’s density incentives under the applicable multifamily regulations.

Design consultants described a two-curb approach: an inbound-only entry on Brookside for surface spaces and deliveries, and a northwest ingress/egress ramp that leads to an under-building garage. The design uses a central circulation core with an elevator and a remote secondary egress stair tucked into building corners.

Commissioners praised the added housing on a formerly paved lot but raised several substantive concerns. They asked the team to (1) study whether the scheme can be reduced to a single curb cut to limit curb‑cut fragmentation of the Brookside streetscape and improve sightlines; (2) provide a detailed traffic/sightline analysis and coordinate with DPW/traffic staff on delivery and emergency access; and (3) avoid unsheltered external fire escapes and, if a secondary egress must remain exterior, show how it will be screened or enclosed to meet safety and aesthetic expectations. Several commissioners also asked the project team to include clearer landscape and screening plans to buffer adjacent industrial/utilitarian uses.

The developer took the feedback and said they would return with revised site, sightline and landscape plans. Commissioners indicated they would be open to the massing if the curb-cut and egress concerns are resolved.