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IN THE NEWS
By Jennifer M. Berkley
STAFF WRITER
It
would have been a tough room for the Board of Appeals Thursday evening
had they denied Jeffrey Roche's request for a variance to build a mixed-income
apartment building on Chestnut Street. But the strong showing of support
from members of the community was enough to win the Board's approval,
despite opposition from the Petrini Corp., which owns property that
directly abuts the proposed development.
In a unanimous vote,
the Board of Appeals approved Roche's request for a variance to build
a 28-unit apartment building on the former site of the Hamilton House
nursing home. The building will include six units designated for low-and
moderate-income occupants that will be managed by the Needham Housing
Authority. The other units will be rented at market rates.
Board of Appeals
Chairman Bill Tedoldi said he initially questioned the board's authority
to grant Roche such a variance for his project, but as he listened to
the comments made by members of the community, he became convinced that
approving the variance for the project would be the appropriate action.
Richard Dionne, an
attorney for the Petrini Corp., said he does not believe the board has
the authority to grant Roche a variance.
Dionne said he has
concerns about the density and scale of the project, specifically about
the availability of parking. Petrini's daughter runs the Chestnut Children's
Center day care center on the first floor of the abutting property
and is concerned about the impact the housing will have in the area.
There is nothing
that distinguishes the piece of property from others in the area, said
Dionne, and there is no demonstrated hardship to Roche, both variables
that Dionne said the bylaws indicate are required for a variance.
"My
client does not oppose housing or affordable
housing, but he is concerned about the impact on his
property," said Dionne.
Still, Tedoldi and
members of the board were swayed by the public's support for Roche's
project and voted in favor of it, although there will be restrictions
placed on the variance.
"The comments
at this meeting have conveyed the notion of the public need [for this
project]," said Tedoldi. "We do need the housing."
================
"The case has been made for senior
housing and Roche
has seen a need
and is trying to
address it," said
Fisher. "I implore
you to be forward thinking."
Joanne
Fisher
Needham
Resident
===============
Roche
needed a variance for several reasons. Buildings in the Chestnut Street
Business District cannot have apartments on the first floor level. The
lot is also too small for 28 units, according to the zoning laws.
At the hearing, Chris
Miara, chairwoman of the Increased Housing Opportunities Committee,
a group appointed by the Board of Selectmen to explore the housing needs
of Needham's seniors, said Roche's project is exactly the type of housing
Needham's older population wants. Miara said the apartments would be
desirable because of their access to transportation services as well
as their central location on Chestnut Street.
"This project
meets the needs identified in the housing survey," said Miara.
"A lot of people said their first criteria would be an independent
apartment, but they didn't want to be marginalized."
Needham
resident Joanne Fisher, a former Hamilton House employee, said she
believes the addition of
opposed to worsening the problem that plagued the area when the nursing home was in operation.
"The case has been
made for senior housing and Roche has seen a need and is trying to address
it," said Fisher. "I implore you to be forward thinking."
Selectmen Dan Matthews
said the need for additional affordable housing exists in the community
and he urged the board to see Roche's project as a means to address the
affordable housing crisis. "Each project needs
to be considered on its merits," said Matthews. "There was a lot
of opposition to building Nehoiden Glen, but we need to encourage more housing
to be built by independent developers."Jerry Rhodes, a representative
from the building's owner, Comprehensive Addiction Programs/Needham Hamilton
House Ltd. Partnership of Virginia, said that despite the hot real estate
market, the property was on the market for more than a year and the demand
for it was not what would be expected, perhaps given the size and configuration
of the lot."We see this as
a win-win situation in Needham," said Rhodes, whose company has a pending
purchase and sale agreement with Roche.For now, Roche said he
was pleased by the show of support he received at the hearing and he is
hopeful that he will be able to move forward with the project."I am absolutely
overjoyed by the show of support from the Selectmen and the Needham people
who spoke in favor of [the project]," said Roche. "I'm not surprised
Needham people would rally around a good project that will benefit the town."At press time, Dionne
said his client was in the process of assessing what his next step would
be, which includes appealing the decision in the Norfolk Superior Court.
Petrini has three weeks from when the decision is filed at Town Hall to
file an appeal.
