City planner warns Revere development could overload sewers

REVERE – It could pour over $100,000 in new property taxes into the city’s depleted treasury, but a proposed Revere Beach Boulevard residential tower poses problems to the city’s sewer system.City planners fear the 14-story development could overload sewer lines on the south end of the beach already experiencing overflows.”New development densities of this magnitude will only serve to exacerbate existing conditions on this sewer line,” Planner Frank Stringi warned City Council members Monday, adding sewer overflows in south beach neighborhoods leave “toilet paper on the streets.”The 22 single-bedroom apartments and 33 two-bedrooms would be built on the site of the now-closed Ocean Lodge. The project includes two parking levels and a rooftop clubhouse.Developer’s attorney Lawrence Simeone told councilors the $14 million project could generate $530,000 to over $600,000 in city fees and $92,000 to $142,000 in annual taxes compared to $26,000 currently generated by the motel.Mindful of the ongoing housing market slump, Simeone told councilors project planners stand ready to convert their project to condominiums. He also said the projected two-year to two-and-a-half year planning and city approval process could coincide with a market revival.”Clearly the market is down but, like everyone, we’re hoping for a surge,” Simeone said.The 60 Revere Beach proposal is under review at a time when bigger projects calling for a 100-plus condominiums as well as health clubs, hotels and commercial buildings are stalled or moving through lengthy state and city permit approval reviews.Sixty Revere’s developers claim the project will generate sufficient city fees to pay for nearly 1,600 feet of sewer pipe worked required to minimize overflows in Beachmont and Shirley Avenue neighborhoods.”That’s half the amount of the pipe Mr. Stringi says needs to be done,” Simeone said.But Stringi, in a site plan review report to the council, said the project “is far too dense of a development on a tightly constrained site.” He said potential future development on other nearby vacant south beach parcels must be taken into consideration as the city seeks to reduce sewer overflows and avoid steep federal fines.”The bottom line is this project attempts to put 10 pounds of potato into a one-pound bag.”Stringi questioned suggestions city fees generated by the project will pay for new pipes. He said extending a pipe from the beach to one paralleling Route 16 is expensive because it involves building under the commuter railroad tracks.