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Board of Appeals 2/12/2025
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(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)
Discover how transforming duplexes into triplexes, while reducing bedroom count, can create a more accessible design that caters to seniors and active adults. This change not only aligns with the growing market demand but also significantly minimizes environmental impact by decreasing impervious surfaces near the riverfront. This proposal involves thoughtful urban planning, maintaining the original unit count, overall height, and parking spaces as it adapts to modern needs.
Join us as we unravel the procedural dynamics of the zoning board meeting, shedding light on the streamlined process of approving meeting minutes and discussing specific petitions. We dive into the fascinating concept of highlighting their rarity and potential community benefits when they truly fit local needs. The meeting wraps with a motion to adjourn, underscoring the importance of meticulous closing procedures. Don’t miss this episode that captures the essence of zoning board discussions, offering a nuanced look at how development proposals can shape and serve communities.
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Rainham Zoning Board Modification Proposal
Speaker 1Good evening , ladies and gentlemen . This is a irregularly scheduled meeting of the Rainham Zoning Board of Appeals . The participating board members to my right , paul Bouye , to my left , derek Johnson , and my name is Carl Verana . We're going to do things a little differently tonight . We're not going to follow the protocol for the meeting . There's only one matter , as you know , on the agenda for tonight and we can go ahead and resolve that . There's nobody here in opposition , there's nobody here in favor , so what I'm going to do is ask the applicant to go ahead and come on up and talk to us . Tell us what you're looking for , what . Oh , I'm sorry , we don't swear in attorneys .
Speaker 3I'm not an attorney , huh . Oh , you're not an attorney Nope , nope , I'm a partner . You couldn't move .
Speaker 1Okay , raise your right hand , promise to tell the truth . Nothing but the truth .
Speaker 3I do thank you good evening . My name is David Easteridge . I'm a partner with Thorndike Development . We're here seeking a vote of insubstantial change for a modification to the Larkwood comprehensive permit . The essence of our modification is a change in building style . This building style was already approved last year in front of this board as part of our previous modification , so we are if I may .
Speaker 3So this is the approved plan located here , and our proposed modifications occur in this area where we're showing all , all duplex units for one triplex . All these are front-loaded and essentially we're going to replace all of that product type with triplexes . So same unit count , fewer bedrooms , same number of parking spaces , no increase in building height this product type is identical to what was previously approved by the board in this section right here .
Speaker 3So identical architecture , we're just using more of it across the site and I believe when we were in front of the board last year one of the members suggested that we would be back here again because that building type looked pretty nice and it has been . The driver for the modification is really that it's had very good market acceptance and you know we have to listen to the buyers that are out there . So we're , we're building what people want and that's really the driver of the modification . You may have seen this . I've just handed letters from Town Council and the building , the building inspector , essentially stating that we have the same unit count , we're swapping from duplexes , the triplexes and bedroom count is being reduced . That was from Bob .
Speaker 3And then the town council says that there appears to be no request to increase the height of the units . Request appears to an effort in an effort to reduce the number of stairs . Occupants will have to climb these units , these unit styles . There's a ground floor , this is the lowest level , so there's a ground floor single level unit and then there's two kind of stacked townhouses on top of it , so the gray units will occupy the second third , for the yellow the second third forward with the garage down here , and the green is just a personal unit . So this , this kind of expands the market for seniors , active , active adults , and it makes also these are units that are can be handicapped , adaptable to , so it checks that box , which is a requirement as part of our comp permit . That is really it in a nutshell . If the board has any questions , we have the answer how many units ?
Speaker 3the total project will have the exact same unit count .
Speaker 1Oh , it will Yep .
Speaker 3So we're essentially taking 21 units and they were all duplexes except for one building , and we're replacing those with all triplexes , so seven triplex buildings .
Speaker 1So there will be fewer numbers of buildings Number of bedrooms Number of bedrooms Number of bedrooms is less 63 to 49 . So it was proposed to be 63 bedrooms . Now we're going to have 49 .
Speaker 3So this is a little bit hard to see . The dark black is the proposed layout and there's red outlines of the duplex building . So there was a duplex here , here , here , here , here , here here , and these guys here .
Speaker 2This one was a triplex .
Speaker 3It's going to be a triplex , it's just a different type of triplex .
Speaker 2So we've lessened the impact near the river .
Speaker 3Yes , exactly , I mean the two units that were closest to the river , not that they were near the river .
Speaker 2I mean the two units that were closest to the river , not that they were near the river per se .
Speaker 3Yes , we're moving development and pervious areas farther away from , let's call it , the perimeter , the riverfront wetlands , which I would argue is a little bit more valuable , and we're actually reducing the overall impervious as well because these buildings are more vertical and even though there's actually more outside spaces , it's still a net reduction of impervious , just because we're going to go into the three stories .
Speaker 3Yeah , so yes , that's , we're kind of vacating this area and it's kind of more dense along this area . That's the yeah , it's kind of a big digital rendering of it , but there's I think there's three of them that are kind of fully up at this point of this style of building .
Speaker 1I've witnessed , I've gone through all of them .
Speaker 3Yeah , inspected all of them .
Speaker 2This layout is really nice .
Speaker 1I can see why you'd want to move to this level .
Speaker 2I see a lot of architectural plans and when I saw this the first time you came , I was like this one is a goldmine .
Speaker 3You might have been the one I was like they're going to be back and this is going to sell
Speaker 2like hotcakes because it's a nice functional layout and I think it's , and it does all the boxes Less bedrooms , less bedrooms yeah , less impervious yeah , further away from the riverfront Right .
Speaker 3And it's interesting , People are less . Let's say , having a garage or a two-car garage attached is becoming less and less important to people . That's one of the things that they're willing to trade off Is that right .
Speaker 3Yeah , when they're looking at the higher interest rates that they have now , you know you can't afford quite as much as you could you know two years ago or four years ago , and that's one of the first tradeoffs that people will be willing to make . You know , get rid of the second car garage right out of the box and then they fight over who gets to park inside , who gets to park in the street . So that's kind of the evolution of the product .
Speaker 1My motivation to get a hearing on the record for this is to make sure that everything goes okay . I spoke to town council . Town council gave us a letter that I'd like read into the record . We also have a second letter from the opinion letter from town council that I would like read into the record . So , Mr Boullieu , what do you pick ?
Speaker 2So I have the letter from town council . That's this one , yeah .
Speaker 1Now is there the other .
Speaker 2The second one I have is a letter from Bob , right ? Yes , bob , okay .
Speaker 1Okay .
Speaker 2I will start with the letter from the building inspector .
Speaker 2Tomorrow . Mckinney , from Robert I afraid II letter dated February 12th 2025 no changes proposed an overall project total number of units 2025 . No changes proposed an overall project total number of units . The new plan shows seven triplexes in the next phase , which equals 21 units . The original approval was for nine duplexes and one triplex , which equals 21 units . Total bedroom count for these seven triplexes will be 49 , reduced from 63 , no increase in building heights . So Bob just sent us a letter stating that he concurred with the facts as presented . Then the letter from town council addressing Mr Carl Verona , chairman rain and Board of Appeals .
Speaker 2With regard to Rainham Riverwalk Comprehensive Permit . Notice of Project Change . Dear Mr Chairman , pursuant to the Board's request , I have reviewed the request of Attorney Freeman Rainham Riverwalk LLC . Now Lockwood LLC is requesting the Board to consider their requested change from nine duplex buildings to six triplex buildings as an insubstantial change . Their request correctly states that chapter 40 B regulations at 760 CMR 56.07 , subsection 4 , provides guidelines that indicate that allowing changes to plans that do not result in an increase to the unit count of more than 10% and that in general otherwise conform to the permit issued , qualify as insubstantial changes . However , those same regulations also state that under subsection C , the following matters will be a substantial change .
Speaker 2Number four a change in building type example garden , apartments , townhomes , etc . In the case at hand , however , there appears to be no request to increase the height of the units , only the layout . Said change appears to be requested in an effort to reduce the number of stairs occupants will have to climb . Although the board can vote to consider these changes substantial , they would appear to be in substantial changes . If you should have any questions , please do not hesitate to contact my office . Very yours truly , edward W Petnik Jr SR . Thank you , do we have another letter ? No , sir . No , I think that's it .
Speaker 1That's it All right , paul , do you have any concerns or questions ? Are there anything else ? Not at all , I think it's actually a good question . There are you , I'm sorry , all right , in that case I'm going to declare the meeting closed . The board will go into executive session . All may remain , but none may speak , paul .
Speaker 2I mean , I think it's a good tweak , I don't think it's negative , I think it's a win , I mean on all fronts . I hope they make good money on it . I think they will .
Speaker 1Derek .
Speaker 2I believe it's a substantial change and I'm all for it Okay .
Speaker 1Can I have a motion To leave executive session ? To leave executive session .
Speaker 2I move that we end executive session . Second Good , and I will move that we accept the insubstantial change as presented ruling , that it is in fact an insubstantial change and that we are in support .
Speaker 1Second All set , thank you very much , good luck . Did you guys vote ? Did you vote ? We did you , just didn't get a card . Yeah , yeah , thank you very much , good luck , did you guys vote .
Speaker 3Did you vote ? We did , okay , you know , yeah , yeah , yeah , thank you for rolling with us with all the changes , but it's good that we get to check in with you , you know , every nine to 12 months . All right , good .
Approval of Meeting Minutes and Adjournment
Speaker 2Now , what do we need to do with regard to these ? Just approving them ? Okay , I don't have to read them , that's good , all right . Well , it appears that we have minutes from the October 9th meeting for Petition 105.4 and 105.5 . I move that we accept them as presented . Second , I agree , all in favor . Aye , aye , aye , aye , it's okay . Aye , it's okay , aye , we'll do that .
Speaker 1Yep , it's all set .
Speaker 3Thanks for the information .
Speaker 1Thank you , good night .
Speaker 3Have a great night , you're welcome .
Speaker 1thank you , Uh-oh , Carl . Can I borrow your pen ? Uh-oh .
Speaker 2Now , where do you want me to sign these ? Just on the last page or on every page that looks good .
Speaker 1All right , paul . Paul , can we pass that over ? Thank you sir .
Speaker 2What do I need to ? What are we gonna do with no 40Bs ? Well , once there's no 40Bs , then the thing on the table will be lips . You know friendly 40Bs when they come with something that we'd want .
Speaker 3Well , no , they're nice 40Bs if they're doing something we need .
Speaker 2They're rare . Well , have they determined what we're going to do with regard to ?
Speaker 1ad use .
Speaker 3We have to just adjourn , right , yeah , move to make a motion we adjourn second .
Speaker 2Yes , yes , yes .