SAUGUS — The public hearing process for the apartments that could be coming to Broadway is nearing the end, with a meeting scheduled Monday with the Zoning Board of Appeals. For those looking to learn about the plans and what has been discussed, here’s some information spanning all the meetings held previously on the matter.
The plan consists of two buildings with 189 rental apartments, 48 of which would be restricted as affordable housing units. The locations of the buildings would be 961 Broadway, 999 Broadway, and 39R Forest Street.
The first meeting discussing the project occurred on Jan. 16, when LDS Consulting introduced themselves and went over the steps they would take to get to where they are now.
It was during that meeting that Board Chair Thomas Traverse let residents know the process would take time and that this was not the last meeting that would be held on the subject.
Project developer Sal Palumbo was also at the meeting, introducing himself and stating, “We put a lot of work and effort into this project, almost a year’s worth. I’ve hired some of the best people in the industry that have drawn, looked, engineered, and done everything they can possibly do.” He also noted that he had been a resident in town for 10 years.
One of the key stressors of the night was that the project would not allow people to exit or enter from Forest Street, something residents were worried about.
Lynne Sweet of LDS Consulting spoke on the importance of affordable housing during the meeting, saying 47% of Saugus renters are paying more than 30% of their income costs, and 23% of that 40% are severely rent burdened.
Residents were concerned from the jump, discussing the possible boost in traffic on an already overcrowded Route 1 and showing concerns about the height of the building.
The first meeting ended with the note that the Board had 180 days to make a decision or ask for an extension.
The next meeting came on Feb. 27, when the Malden Anglers introduced a new question: How would the construction affect their pond?
The possible construction would lead to a retaining wall being put up, and it would look over Patkin Pond. Anglers attended the meeting to discuss the issue, noting that the site is a peaceful space in the middle of Saugus, providing solitude. One of their major points was that the building could disrupt their program, Project Healing Waters, which has veterans visit the pond two nights each month.
Since this meeting, LDS Consulting has looked into the ways the construction could affect the wetlands. However, as of right now, their plans remain up to code with how far they will be building from the pond.
The March 20 meeting was all about traffic, a hot topic residents continued to bring up as they feared another boost of cars clogging the roads.
Sweet noted that these apartments would align Saugus with Massachusetts’ “10% rule” for 40B housing.
“Chapter 40B is a state statute, which enables local Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20-25% of the units have long-term affordability restrictions,” according to Mass.gov.
If the town gets above that 10% they could enforce their own zoning laws. Being below that percentage gives the state the power to approve affordable housing and development despite what the town says. The apartments being proposed would bring Saugus to 11%.
During this meeting, residents again questioned Forest Street as an access point, mentioning how dangerous the street is due to the speed at which people travel it. However, the Board was again adamant that this wouldn’t be an option. Despite the reassurance, residents continued to push.
Tensions hit a high point during this meeting as an argument ensued between a resident and Traverse.
April 17 would continue the discussion of peer reviews, and Cliff Boehmer, town peer reviewer, shared his primary concerns with the Board.
Boehmer said some missing materials made it difficult to analyze the impact or quality of life for residents, specifically in connection with the pipeline, the retaining wall, and the single building scheme.
The Architectural Team Principal James Szymanski was there to comment on the single building scheme, noting that the building would be 13 stories high. Sweet mentioned that they had flagged the wetland and done soil testing to answer the concerns of the Anglers.
One thing made clear was that residents hoped for them to find a simpler way to do the project. Multiple brought up the single building proposition or a way to scale it down.
May and June consisted of similar discussions, each one bringing up new peer reviews or studies to move the project along.
At the latest meeting on June 30, the Anglers brought their attorney, Dan Hill, who questioned multiple steps in the project.
Hill mainly focused on parking, questioning whether the project met the criteria of the zoning district regarding having enough parking spaces. LDS Consulting confirmed they did have the spaces needed for the Business Highway Development district.
After all these discussions, it could come to an end on Monday. As mentioned above, the Board had 180 days to approve the project, though they could ask for an extension. As of Friday, it has been 175 days since the first meeting.
