Avoiding Large House Review at All Costs

Six months after a bylaw change made construction projects more prone to review, applications have dropped as architects and homebuyers find ways to avoid oversight.

A change to Wellesley’s definition of home square footage, which as of July 1, 2010, made construction projects more susceptible to a lengthy and costly review process, has done less to control expansive building in its first six months than it has to inspire creative architecture and other strategies to avoid Planning Board scrutiny, a Wellesley Patch inquiry has found. Last May, Town Meeting voted to amend the official measure of a house's square footage, what local bylaws refer to as “total living area plus garage” (TLAG). The metric now includes all attic space — finished and unfinished — in which the height from floor to ceiling is at least seven feet, or at least five feet for a sloped interior roof. Previously, a home's TLAG did not…

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Affordable Housing Plan Worries Planning Board

Affordable Housing planned in a Linden Street building not favored by the town Planning Board.

Proposed housing added to the buildings at 139 and 139R Linden St. certainly doesn't have the Planning Board's support. The Board had a number of concerns and comments on the plan during their Comprehensive Permit Review--which generates feedback for the Zoning Board's upcoming hearing. Owners Perdoni Bros. Inc. included a Chapter 40B Affordable Housing unit on the property. The 40B apartment will be located over C & T Paint and Wallpaper, which begs a question of safety. Paint supplies can be flammable, which would make the upstairs apartment far more dangerous in the event of a fire.  "I'm not convinced how safe it is over that use, but I'm sympathetic to a site with three uses," explained Board member Stephanie Wasser. Neal Glick, also …

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Planning Board Seeks Applications for Associate Member

The town Planning Board is taking applications for a 2-year appointment to Associate Member

The Wellesley Town Planning Board is seeking candidates for an Associate Member position. The Associate Member is a two year appointment made by the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen in joint session. The role of the Associate Member is to participate as a voting member of the Planning Board on special permit applications, as designated by the Board, to fill in if one of the other five members is unable to participate in that matter. The meetings of the Planning Board are held on Monday evenings. For more information concerning the nature of this position please contact Meghan Jop, Planning Director at 781-431-1019 extension 2234. A letter of interest including brief resume would be welcome by Oct 13 at the following address: Planning …

Planning Board Debates Condition of High Ledge Road

Planning Board concerned about use of heavy equipment on the private way.

The case of 50 High Ledge Ave., home of Yuruo Chen and his family, continued from the previous Planning Board meeting, returned Monday night. Board members were concerned about the condition of the road, and whether the construction would damage the narrow private way.  "We'll take care of it," stated Joseph Moccia, owner of Advanced Building Concepts, when asked what would happen to damaged roadway. "In 20 years, we've never damaged a road... never had to go back and repair a road." Moccia, Chen's contractor, brought with him articles about other homes built by his company to indicate he had sufficient experience to handle the unique conditions of the lot. He added that Astro Crane, which provides equipment for the project, visited the …

Planning Board Discusses Surgical Services At Grossman's Site

Members revisit Cottage Street plan, discuss bylaw revisions.

Addressing concerns the Planning Board expressed about the proposed Newton-Wellesley Ambulatory Services facility at 27 Washington St., Architect Mark Paris, Jack O'Neil of National Development and Bob Davis of Goulston and Storrs presented plans for the site. The land is the site of the old Grossman's, which laid fallow for years before a building and demolition permit was issued earlier this month. The ambulatory services building will be about 33,000 square feet and will not actually have anything to do with ambulance runs, said Ethan Parsons, a planner at the Planning Board office. The space will be a walk-in office for surgical services, he said. About 75 percent of the building's ground floor will house a yet-to-be determined retail …

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Planning Board Finalizes Large House Review Rules

LHR questions answered as changes kick in Thursday.

The Planning Board finalized the language of new Large House Review rules and regulations Tuesday at Wellesley College's Wang Center, about two months after Town Meeting approved amendments to the LHR zoning bylaw and two days before those changes take effect today. The LHR process is somewhat confusing - even to board members and architects - so the WellesleyPatch has made the following attempt to answer some of the major questions surrounding its purpose and implementation. Why does Large House Review exist? LHR is designed to prevent new single-family homes and additions from damaging the character of existing neighborhoods. "The intent of this review process is not to mandate certain designs or restrict house size," the town's website …

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Architect Warns Large House Review Regulations Could Backfire

To Avoid Review Process, Builders May Construct Homes that 'Look Even Worse.'

Wellesley's Large House Review process, introduced in 2007, is meant to address residents' concerns about new homes and additions that "are out of context with surrounding houses and are having detrimental impacts on neighborhood character," according to the town's official website. Ironically, LHR may in fact inspire further deviations from neighborhoods' existing styles. That was the argument of local architect Patrick Ahearn to the Planning Board Monday night at Town Hall during the last public hearing before recently-adopted LHR changes take effect Thursday. The partner in Ahearn Schopfer Associates suggested some builders might design houses with eccentric features - flat roofs, for instance - in an effort to avoid crossing the square…

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Attic Projects That Don't Expand Homes Exempt from LHR, Planning Board Says

Language of newly-amended LHR bylaw nearing finalization.

Monday's public hearing about recently-adopted amendments to the Large House Review bylaw proved more of a public talking by the Planning Board, as only three residents dotted the 32 chairs set out in the Town Hall Great Room. And as board members talked, it was clear they are uncertain of what, exactly, is the intent of an LHR change approved at Town Meeting May 4. Prior to the public's passage of Article 31 last month, a home's total living area plus garage--the town's official measure of its square footage--did not include unfinished attic space or attic space accessible only by ladders or pull-down stairways. Only 25 percent of the floor area of finished attic space counted toward TLAG. But beginning July 1, a home's TLAG will include …

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Planning Board approves projects

The Wellesly Planning Board approved projects for this Thursday's ZBA public hearing.

            Nine upcoming proposals for construction and permitting projects in Wellesley were given the stamp of approval by the Wellesley Planning Board Monday night. The board met briefly before Town Meeting to evaluate the numerous upcoming proposals on the agenda for the town's Zoning Board of Appeals; and while the board was willing to approve nine of the ten proposals, their approval came with conditions.             Below is a breakdown of the ten proposals, including the Planning Board's recommendations for each:             42 Clovelly Road: A petition for a special permit to build a 30 foot by 35 foot, two-story addition, along with the construction of a 24 foot by 25 foot two-car garage. The home is a nonconforming structure …