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Board asks for site‑plan amendment and site visit after developer alters 115 Congress Street details
Summary
Planning staff reported late design changes at the near‑complete 115 Congress Street housing project, including removal of window muntins and a proposed temporary roadside bus stop; the board requested a formal site‑plan amendment, ADA confirmation and an on‑site visit before any final approvals or occupancy actions.
Planning staff told the board that the 115 Congress Street housing project—permitted earlier in the review process—is nearing completion but that the developer has made a few design changes that staff learned about during inspections.
The most visible change was the removal of muntins (the six‑over‑six window appearance) on some windows; staff characterized that modification as value engineering and suggested it could be addressed administratively, but board members questioned whether it affected prior aesthetic findings. More materially, the developer proposed to relocate the project’s on‑site bus stop to the roadside temporarily, using tip‑downs (concrete ramps) and signage, because Congress Street’s poor road base and steep grades make on‑site placement difficult without additional work.
Several members expressed safety and ADA concerns about having a bus stop at the site driveway, where ingress and egress for dozens of residential units occur. Members asked staff to confirm ADA compliance for the proposed temporary stop and to consider traffic and pedestrian safety. Multiple board members recommended that the developer submit a formal site‑plan amendment for the board’s review and that the board conduct a site visit before finalizing conditions; staff said the developer must submit the amendment and that a certificate of occupancy would not be issued until required site features are completed and approved.
Staff indicated it would wrap proposed window changes into any site‑plan amendment, update findings and conditions as necessary, and seek to prioritize the amendment review given the project’s status.
