Several zoning board of appeals members expressed concerns about the size of a proposed mixed-use development on Park Street at the board's regular meeting last week.
The ZBA held the initial public hearing on a 120-unit, five-story residential building with seven retail spaces at 105-115 Park St. The project is seeking several variances for side and rear setbacks, as well as a special permit for parking. There are 50 parking spaces proposed split between the podium and underground levels of the project.
The site at 115 Park Street is the former home of the Pollo Campero restaurant, which was destroyed by a fire in 2019. The Park Street property was purchased by 115 Park St., LLC in 2024 for just over $3 million.
Of the 120 units, 15 are slated as two-bedrooms, 10 as three-bedrooms, and 95 as one-bedrooms, according to Anthony Rossi, the attorney representing the developer. There will be 18 affordable units as a part of those 120 units, Rossi added.
"The city would like to see a little bit of a mixture of two and three (bedrooms), but the one bedrooms will allow it to be developed because we don't have enough parking if we did a lot of twos and threes," said Rossi.
With the one bedroom apartments, Rossi said there is generally not as great a demand for parking spaces as with larger units.
If the project is approved with the parking relief requested, residents would not be eligible for on-street parking stickers.
Rossi said the developer is seeking to build seven smaller retail spaces on the first floor of the project because they will be easier to lease. However, Rossi said there would be the ability to combine the retail space to create larger units.
"We worked with the city with what the city wanted to see, and we thought it made sense to have many different types of businesses," said Rossi.
ZBA member Marilyn Vega-Torres said the proposed building is beautiful to look at, but added that it looks enormous for the area.
"There is already a lot of traffic happening there," she said, adding that she had concerns about parking for the retail shops.
City Manager Fidel Maltez submitted a letter to the ZBA in support of the project, stating he did understand that there are parking and traffic concerns. He added that there is a planned redesign of the traffic flow in the area scheduled for 2027 which could address some of the issues.
ZBA member Joan Cromwell said she also had concerns about 120 residential units and the retail spaces adding to the already congested traffic in the area.
"I think the only saving grace is what the city manager mentioned about the area eventually being done over ... but today, it is crowded and compact," Cromwell said.
The project will be going before the planning board on Feb. 25 and is scheduled to be back before the ZBA on March 11 for a potential vote on the variances and special permit.