Abutters voice concern over Beverly Housing Authority project

By Suzanne Snell - Wicked Local Beverly - The Beverly Citizen - August 8, 2012

Beverly, Mass. - Beverly Housing Authority's new housing project at the Montserrat train station has many residents concerned.

The plans call for two new low-income houses, each consisting of two units, at the corner of Essex and Spring Street at the Montserrat train station, and minor renovations to the existing bungalow-style house on the property.

BHA held an informal meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 7 for abutters to voice their concerns and see a presentation of the project presented by the architects, Sylvia Mihich and Steve Michener of Studio G Architects.

During the meeting, John Hall of Colon Street said no one in the neighborhood, even direct abutters, have ever been consulted or notified about the BHA's intensions.

Abutter Bob Butterworth of Parramatta Road said the BHA's handling of the project is "arrogant and showing disrespect to the neighborhood."

The project, which is slated for construction to begin this fall, has been in the works since 2008, attorney for BHA Tom Alexander said. He explained it is an "as of right" project in a residential medium density (RMD) zone, meaning the BHA owns the land and they are allowed to do build what they want there as long as proper permits are obtained.

"We have met with the building inspector to review it, and he has indicated that it is in conformance with zoning bylaws," Alexander told abutters.

The Beverly Planning Board approved the project in 2008 with a stipulation that 10 percent of the parcel be a designated recreation area.

Architect Sylvia Mihich pointed out that the plan includes grass areas and a communal patio area central to all those living there that combined to make up the 10 percent requirement.

"We wanted to create homes that would fit in the context of the neighborhood," Mihich added.

Abutter Courtney Melei of Lakeshore Avenue disagreed.

"The neighborhood looks nothing like that," Melei said, referring to the drawings of the houses. "It is going to be cheap living with good schools."

The Montserrat Neighborhood Group, a collection of concerned citizens that formed in opposition of a proposed project for 160 apartments near Kelleher Pond, recently sent an email to local residents.

"This is a very visible, congested and dangerous intersection, between two train crossings and completely inappropriate for such a complex," read the letter. "It is on a route where children walk to school, and it currently provides a necessary buffer to the train station parking lot."

A big concern of the eight abutters in attendance was safety and traffic.

Catherine Barrett of Lowell Street asked if a traffic study had been done on the site and noted how busy Spring Street, Essex Street and Corning Street intersection is.

Alexander said, "A project of this size would not require a traffic study."

Butterworth asked if there would be a fence included around the properties, protecting children from the heavy street traffic.

"My concern is, if you have 10 kids a certain percent of them are going to be hyper and could be very impulsive and shoot right into the street," Butterworth said. "Without a fence I don't see how the project could move forward."

He suggested a hedge to prevent children from entering the street while playing.

Executive Director of BHA Kevin Ascolillo said, "I don't have a problem once these units are built to add a fence."

Parking at the site was also discussed. Melei said there would be one parking space per unit, and the 14 spaces given to the BHA by the MBTA when the property was purchased for $10 in 2002, would be overflow parking.

Beverly requires two parking spaces per unit and the additional spaces are provided in the MBTA lot, Ascolillo added.

"Pulling in and backing out on Essex Street and Spring Street are major concerns, particularly at that intersection," Barrett said.

She noted there is high volume traffic at specific times of the day creating a dangerous environment.

Peter Reiser, who lives on Essex Street directly across from the proposed driveway of the Essex Street house, said, "I can't imagine putting children in that facility. You have to back out into the street and with children in the car during busy traffic it's not safe. It is a very highly dense traffic area."

Abutters wondered why the parking spaces could not be eliminated and the MBTA spaces be used.

"The Spring Street building is handicapped accessible and a parking space is needed there," Ascolillo said, noting that the project has advanced to a point where the design of the parcel is what it is going to look like.

"What is different about this housing as opposed to conventional public housing is it's all maintained through rents," Ascolillo said.

Hall noted the BHA has a less than stellar reputation for maintenance and management of their properties in the city.

"The rental revenue will be used to maintain the buildings," Ascolillo said.

Hall also had concerns with the fence dividing where the houses are to be built and the MBTA parking lot.

He asked why the BHA would not develop the whole area to give themselves more space if they fully own the property.

Hall read from the deed which states, "The Grantee agrees to install and forever maintain, at Grantee's sole cost and expense, a standard right-of-way fence, which meets Grantor's specification, along the proposed northerly property line between the premises and Grantor's Montserrat Commuter Rail parking lot."

Hall told the Citizen, "They are counting this area as part of the required square footage for zoning purposes, but are apparently unable to use it for buildings and are required to maintain the fence that is there."

"It is unclear whether the BHA or the MBTA truly owns this part of the property," he added.

Alexander said the conditions of the deed would be upheld.