217-241 Mass Ave

General Info

Residents' Concerns

- Traffic and safety concerns. There have already been accidents in that area (and other parts of Mass Ave) with pedestrians (bikers?) being hit by cars. With 44 units, and a large number of cars coming out of a small lot, concerns around safety.

- Concern that the neighbrhood, probably Mass Ave, being swamped with cars that the developers didn’t want to accommodate in the building parking lot.

- Insufficient parking and public transportation. 

- Is parking lot allowed inside the setback?

- Building aesthetics also came up

- How shading from a 5-story building could cause the bike path to be unusable in winter as ice would form and not melt as it currently does on a sunny day.

- Many residents in the neighborhood were not aware of the rezoning / plans for a 60-foot building in the area.

- Developer said that Planning really wants commercial on the bottom (my words, paraphrasing what was said). Developer said this 2 or 3 times at least.

- First Street rates the 4 properties (21, 229, 233, 241) as Severe-Extreme-Extreme-Severe Risk of Flooding. I don't know why this is, is it due to urban stormwater runoff, is it to do with the water table, are the properties built on filled in wetlands, etc? Need to consult with John Livsey, Town Engineer.