As close to actualization as they've gotten: A rough sketch of the future West River apartments.
Tom Breen Photo
Marchand: Would love "another bite" at the environmental apple.
A long-delayed elderly housing development will now open its doors to families of all ages – if it ever does end up actually opening its doors.
The City Plan Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve two amendments to the more than a decade-old housing complex proposal for 1155 Whalley Ave. The plan for what were originally meant to be apartments for seniors aged 55 and over will now be age inclusive — and numbered at 140 apartments rather than 124.
Per the city’s inclusionary zoning ordinance, 5 percent of those units (seven apartments) will be set aside as “affordable,” meaning they’ll be priced at 50 percent area median income depending on their size ($45,900 a year for a two-person household).
Those changes will not expand the overall footprint of the original plan. Instead, owners Westrock Views LLC, represented by Attorney Joe Williams, will alter the anticipated first floor to feature an additional 16 apartments rather than elder care services and amenities.
That marks the latest city engagement on an ever-shifting project, which has drawn controversy among environmental advocates given its location along the West River. The application, which has yet to lead to any new housing built, dates back to 1999 — read more about that here.
Commissioners spent more than an hour debating the environmental impact of the proposed development during their latest meeting Wednesday. They supported the amendments upon realization that the same body had already approved a five-year extension back in 2020 to a former site plan which listed 26 environmentally-conscious conditions.
Commissioners debated whether or not they could reopen those conditions. ”I’d love to have another bite of the apple,” Commissioner Adam Marchand said, pointing to new climate risks like increased flooding that have emerged just over the past couple years. Attorney Williams said the “fairly unusual set of conditions” which were previously adopted ensure future vetting of the project past the City Plan’s yea or nay.
For example, the city engineer will have to sign off on final plans for the property. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protections will also review the development before construction starts. And an updated erosion and sedimentation plan still stands to be submitted.
The changes at hand — just over 10 more apartments within the same footprint — were relatively insignificant, commissioners agreed. But why the move away from senior housing, Commissioner Carl Goldfield inquired?
Williams said the property owner, who is still looking for a development partner for the project, has found over the years that “there’s not a market for it.” But there’s definitely a need for more housing at-large, he said.
While some — such as West Hills Alder Richard Furlow — complained about the potential parking impact during Wednesday’s public hearing in addition to possible flooding concerns, commissioners also decided that those worries were out of the scope of Wednesday’s conversation.
Though the project passed, it remains unclear when construction will be able to start.
As city approvals for environmentally-sensitive plan specifics remain pending, Tom Lehtonen of the West River Watershed Coalition offered a desperate plea in hopes of reducing negative impact on the wetlands: “If any commissioners who have not viewed this portion of the West River and its trail, including the Peter Davis Bridge, would like a tour, any member of the coalition would be happy to accompany them.”