Developer Surprises Town with Switch From Office to Mixed-Use

But things seems to have changed since as evidenced by the developer's recent meeting with a group of the complex's abutters in which the developer unveiled plans to develop a residential complex on the site.

Why the switch? The answer lies in the complexities of dealing with historical buildings, town codes and local residents.

Kathy Bartolini, planning director for the town, tells GlobeSt.com that the site, which once contained nine buildings, was bought by the area's community development council over ten years ago as business incubator space. The council renovated building number one where they located their offices and state agencies but weren't able to continue with the project because of the recession of the early 1990s. Rosewood Associates came along with their office and retail plan but immediately became embroiled in a dispute about whether they could tear down some of the buildings which are considered historical.

They filed a formal proposal with the town but needed to figure out a way to put in the parking required for an office project. Bartolini says that by last month the town was considering revoking the developer's tax increment financing for the state--which also enables them to get tax credits from the state--"because the project was taking so long for them to achieve."

A month ago, Rosewood filed a proposal to build a six-story garage that would link with building number two in the complex, a building that Rosewood had tried to get the courts to allow them to take down. Along with the preservation of that building the developer also indicated that they would restore building number four, and Bartolini notes that the plans were for office space.

Last week, a letter came to the town's planning board indicating that the developer would hold a meeting that evening for the abutters to the complex in which they would show a mixed –use proposal for buildings two and four on the site. "They wanted to see if the abutters would be amenable to housing," she says. When the economic development council held the property, it proposed a low income housing complex which was fiercely opposed by the local residents. The site is currently zoned for commercial and industrial use.

Rosewood Associates did not return calls by press time but Jay Grande, planning administrator for the town, tells GlobeSt.com that the developer is looking at all "available options." He says that while Rosewood has not come to the board with an official proposal, he knows that there is a longstanding issue with parking in the area. A residential project would require fewer parking spaces, according to the town code, than an office project. "The plan tries to address these issues," points out Grande. He notes that Rosewood would need a use variance from the town to put up housing on the site.

As to the abutter's reaction, according to Veronica Delprete, who was at the meeting, the group, on the whole, "would be supportive of the plan [Rosewood] presented." She points out that it was the low income housing element of the residential project proposed by the economic development council that the abutters were opposed to. "This is not affordable housing," she says, "and it met with the approval of most of the people there."