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Madison building owner seeks to reduce required parking for 85-unit conversion at 400 Washington Street
Summary
Madison 2020 LLC asked the Reading Zoning Hearing Board to amend a previously granted special exception to allow one parking space per unit (85 units) rather than 1.5 spaces. Company witness Amanda Kaplan said the property has 48 on‑site spaces and the owner purchased 37 off‑site spaces, totaling 85, and argued one-per-unit would be adequate based on leasing experience.
Madison 2020 LLC asked the Reading Zoning Hearing Board on Dec. 10 to amend a prior special exception so the redeveloped Madison building at 400 Washington Street may provide one parking space per residential unit instead of the 1.5 spaces required by the zoning ordinance.
William Dion, counsel for the applicant, described the property’s zoning history and said the board previously approved an adaptive‑reuse special exception. Amanda Kaplan, the company controller, told the board the site currently has 48 parking spaces on site and the owner acquired a separate lot at 315 Washington Avenue with 37 spaces, which together would supply 85 spaces for 85 units. "It is in all likelihood more than they need and I suspect that they only need the 48," Kaplan said, summarizing the owner’s experience with a nearby redevelopment where tenants did not use all rental parking spaces.
Counsel cited the zoning ordinance provisions that permit the board to amend special exceptions and reduce parking requirements under specified conditions. Board members asked about how the off‑site parking would be memorialized; counsel said the owner would record an instrument linking the two properties or otherwise memorialize the arrangement to the satisfaction of the city and the city solicitor.
Staff noted the prior special‑exception decision’s conditions have been satisfied, building permits have been issued, and construction is underway; the applicant said opening is expected in spring 2026. No members of the public testified for or against the application. The board closed testimony and said it will issue a written decision at next month’s meeting.
Why it matters: Reducing parking requirements for downtown adaptive‑reuse projects can affect neighborhood parking availability and housing costs. The applicant argued the combined on‑site and off‑site parking equals the number of units and that market demand for parking at similar projects has been low, but the board will weigh public‑safety, access, and ordinance standards before deciding.
The board will mail its written decision to the applicant after deliberation.
