Lynn council gives green light to housing plan

LYNN – The City Council granted a special permit to developer Thomas L. Demakes Tuesday for a residential complex to be housed at the Houghton Branch Library, which is located in a business-zoned district.Demakes was the lone bidder for the property earlier this year and proposed to rehabilitate the building and turn it into an eight unit dwelling at 831 Western Ave.Attorney Thomas C. Demakis said the next step would be to obtain a parking variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.Since parking spaces are not included in the sale of the library, Demakis said Demakes purchased a lot for $25,000 at 811 Western Ave. that has seven parking spaces for the property.The lot was originally owned by the city and was later transferred to the Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC) for the purpose of creating additional parking for the property.However, 12 spaces are required for the property and Demakis said his client is actively searching for more in the area.”We might be able to tastefully squeeze in one or two more spaces on the library site, but my client is spending a lot of money and he doesn’t want to make it look like junk,” he said.Councilor at Large Charles O’Brien said he was uncomfortable with the fact that there weren’t enough parking spaces allocated to the complex.”If I was to buy one of these dwellings, where am I going to park,” he asked. “I’m not going to park down the street if I’m paying good money – it doesn’t make sense. People are going to start parking in other places.”Demakis reassured O’Brien that the spaces would be located about 160 feet from the residence.”The zoning ordinance states that parking spaces have to be within 200 feet of the dwelling and the spaces we have would be about 30 seconds away,” he said. “My client has gone above and beyond to purchase that lot and if that’s the only issue, then nothing else can go there because there isn’t any other parking available on site.”Ward 6 Councilor Peter Capano expressed concerns with the parking situation and requested the approval for the permit be granted with the understanding that parking would have to be found.”Demakes wants to make the library really nice and I think it will work,” he said.Demakis said if the variance is granted, the closing on the property would most likely take place in December.”We would like to close as soon as possible, but the deadline to close is February 2008,” he said. “Originally we had 180 days to close, then we got a 120 day extension and then 90 days.”Prior to Demakis’s bid of $299,000 to turn the former library into a residential complex, Sokhoeun Pres was awarded a bid for $250,000 in 2006 to create a Cambodian Cultural Center.Pres withdrew her bid in November 2006 and the City Council reimbursed the $25,000 deposit she placed on the building and put it back out to bid.Demakis, who previously bid against Pres, won the second bid.All three branch libraries were placed on the auction block last May and later sold after they were closed as the result of budget cuts.