A proposed mixed-use development on Route 99 at the former site of Victor’s Italian Cuisine in Saugus is officially moving forward, with the town’s Planning Board approving a site plan, master plan, and hillside protection permit while imposing a number of conditions on the proposal.
Maddy’s Place LLC owns 1631-1639 Broadway, which was also once home to Maddy’s Lounge and Grill, and already received the sign-off of the Board of Selectmen for a pair of height variances for the buildings in 2021. The first building on the property, which sits at the meeting of Routes 1 and 99, would be 67 feet tall, with four stories of apartments — 20 total — sandwiched between a first-floor restaurant and a rooftop bar and bistro. The second, situated behind the first, would comprise 54 units.
The property is owned by the Wong family, which also owns and operates Kowloon Restaurant on the other side of the highway.
A draft decision prepared by Director of Planning and Economic Development Christopher Reilly, which he has yet to finalize and file with the town clerk’s office, includes 38 conditions, though Reilly indicated he may add more to the draft decision he provided to The Item on Monday.
In preparing the draft decision, Reilly told board members during their meeting last week that he included a number of standard conditions that the developer would have to fulfill before the issuance of a building permit, in an effort to expedite the Planning Board’s process.
Now, before the final building permit is issued, the developer will work with town departments to ensure the project meets standard requirements on subjects like water and sewer infrastructure. If any of the conditions are not met, the project will not move forward in its current form.
Reilly also addressed hillside-protection efforts, noting that he is recommending remediation or mitigation on the part of the developer with the construction of a retaining wall.
“That would be what I would call a recommendation on remediation,” he said. “There is a practical option the board can approve that restores it to (its) original condition.”
Architect Michael McKeown of Manchester, N.H.-based Dennis Mires P.A. The Architects told board members that some blasting would be necessary to develop the site, but efforts would be taken to ensure it is “as minimal as possible.”
“We would try, per the board’s recommendation, to leave that as natural-looking as possible,” he said.
Reilly walked board members through a number of conditions he considered key in the draft decision, beginning with a condition disallowing snow to be plowed into or stored into parking spaces, and mandating the property owner to handle off-site snow disposal if on-site space is not sufficient. He also highlighted a condition implementing peer-review construction oversight at the expense of the developer to ensure what is being constructed matches the approved plans of record and the decision.
Reilly told board members that doing so has become standard practice in Saugus.
“(The) intent obviously is to make sure (the) construction process moves quickly and accurately,” he said. “That’s to the benefit of everyone.”
Among other conditions spotlighted by Reilly was a requirement that a final punch-list inspection be scheduled by the developer at least 30 days before any submission for an application for a certificate of occupancy at either of the two buildings. Doing so would “make sure everyone’s on the same page,” Reilly said, noting that the town has required the inspection for many other recent projects.
He also pointed to a condition stating no occupancy permit would be issued until the completion of “all development infrastructure,” like driveways, access ways, parking areas, drainage facilities, and utilities. After speaking with McKeown, Reilly, with the board’s approval, agreed to amend the condition to apply to each building separately — meaning the forward-facing building housing the restaurant could get occupancy while the second building is still under construction, assuming the infrastructure was in place at the front of the site.
The final condition applied by Reilly was that the project must comply with the inclusionary bylaw regarding affordable housing, which McKeown said was a requirement of the building permit.
After more than an hour of deliberation, the board voted unanimously to approve the plans, meaning just one hurdle remains for the project in the issuance of the building permit.
