Thursday, January 31, 2013
New Zoning Board of Appeals members fill one of the vacancies left after two members quit following the approval of Brookview Village.
There remains one open full-time opening for the Zoning Board of Appeals after the City Council approved the reappointment of one member and the appointment of a new alternate member. “That is one of those thankless jobs, but a very important one,” said Mayor Arthur Vigeant during a Personnel Committee Meeting last week where the pair was recommended for full council approval. “Right now we are missing a couple of seats on the ZBA and we are working at filling those." The appointments came after two ZBA members resigned following the approval of the "friendly 40B" Brookview Village apartment complex. Councilor and Committee Member Robert Seymour made a point to the two appointees that there is additional scrutiny due to this high profile …
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman and a former member continue to voice the need for a city planner.
Members of the Planning Board continue to voice the need for a city planner. "We have some expertise, but a city planner — that is his background," said ZBA Chairman James Natale. The issue came up following the approval of "Brookview Village," a 225 unit apartment complex. The need for a city planner initially came up during a discussion of where the development fit in the long-term for the city. Following the approval of the development, two board members resigned. In her resignation letter, Lynn Faust stated that the city needs a planner. "Because of the lack of a city planner and the resignation of Building Commissioner Steve Reid, it is very difficult as a ZBA member to obtain enough data to confidently vote on matters before the ZBA…
Thursday, December 13, 2012
With the apartment pricing for Brookview Village announced, a representative for the developer made it clear the apartments were not for "poor" people.
As the Brookview Village "friendly 40B" was passed last week, representatives for the developers reinforced that the development was for affordable housing, not low income housing. “This project is not designed for the poor," said Arthur Bergeron, lawyer and representative of the Gutierrez Company that is developing the property. "The point of this development is to provide housing for the workers who are going to be working across the street and those people aren’t that poor." To make their point, the company released information on apartment pricing. The pricing for the 225 unit complex and other comparative complexes in Marlborough is listed below. Receive breaking news in your inbox or smartphone by signing up for our newsletter here …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman James Natale said the board members who resigned will be missed but it was time to take a vote on Brookview Village.
The two ZBA members that resigned following last week's Brookview Village vote will be missed, but it was time to take a vote according to ZBA Chairman James Natale. "I'm sorry to see them leave. They were good members," said Natale of Lynn Faust and Robert Page who resigned last week before saying that it was time to vote on the 225 unit apartment complex. "We've been kicking it around since August." The pair resigned following a 3 to 2 vote to approve a 225 unit "friendly 40B" that was taken after they had asked for more time to review incoming data and recieve a complete report on housing needs in the city. Faust had served for roughly 20 years, while Page been a full member of the board for less than a year. Both cited the vote …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The vote on Brookview Village has prompted the resignation of two Zoning Board of Appeals members as one former member calls into question the integrity of the board.
Zoning Board of Appeals members Lynn Faust and Robert Page, who voted against Brookview Village last week, have both resigned citing the vote and process of reviewing the "friendly 40B" as deciding factors. "I cannot serve on the ZBA where I receive disrespect in public in return for years of dedication and hard work," said Lynn Faust in a resignation letter to ZBA Chairman James Natale. "You and other ZBA members were ready to vote on this case months ago without the benefit of complete testimony or any unbiased market data." The two members asked for time to review additional information and have a review of housing needs in the city be completed. The other three board members, including Chair Natale, said they were ready to take a vote …
Monday, December 10, 2012
Brookview Village will continue to be an important development far into the future; continue to check back here for the latest developments.
The importance of the 225 unit "friendly 40B" affordable housing complex dubbed Brookview Village will continue as the discussion of conditions of its development and the long-term implications of it's approval continue to be discussed. We will continue to gather information and compile it here as we update the situation with new stories. They will all be listed here with the latest developments first. The Zoning Board of Appeals accepted $675,000 as the amount of money to be paid in mitigation by the Gutierrez Company for the "Brookview Village" apartment complex. Where exactly is Brookview Village located? The information can be found in this story. Brookview Village is not for "poor" people according to representatives for the developer…
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3 to 2 to approve the 225 apartment complex Tuesday night.
In a vote that split the Zoning Board of Appeals 3 to 2, the "Brookview Village" 40B apartment complex was voted through Tuesday night pending approval of conditions. “We have to have another meeting where we will work on the conditions because there are going to be a lot of them," said Board Chairman James Natale. The vote gives the go ahead to 225 apartment units that will be placed off of Ames Street in an area in the middle of industrial and commercial developments that had previously been zoned commercial. It is being developed by the Gutierrez Company. Bill Caulder, from Gutierrez, stated that the company would be looking to develop the adjacent property into commercial and retail. The vote occured with ZBA members Lynn Faust and …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The contested "Brookview Village" 40B continues to change and we have the associated numbers right here.
The "Brookview Village" 40B development continues to be debated by the Zoning Board of Appeals as the numbers change. The latest iteration of the development off of Ames Street has dropped down to 225 units. We had previously compiled information on the complex, but some of those numbers have changed as well. Listed below are some of the new numbers that you need to know as the conversation about this development continues. The developers have refined the plans and are now only looking for seven waivers. These waivers include green space conditions as well as set back requirements. Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up …
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The developers have cut the numbers but the controversy remains around Marlborough's proposed "friendly" 40B.
The developers of the "Brookview Village" 40B have cut the number of units at the complex down to 225 following a request by a Zoning Board of Appeals member. "I think that would remedy some of the issues that you have," said Board Member Paul Giunta in reference to drainage and wetlands at a meeting with the developers last month. The developers responded with a plan that cut the development down from the proposed 243 units to 225. The portion of affordable units remains the same although the number drops to 56. This would continue to ensure that Marlborough would not go below it's 10 percent affordable housing requirement until 2029, according to representatives from the developer. Brookview Village is a 225 unit "friendly 40B" apartment…
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Zoning Board of Appeals members voiced the need for a city planner as they continue to work on the "Brookview Village" 40B development, while one board member requested to see plans reducing the number of units to 225.
The need for a City Planner was raised by the Zoning Board of Appeals as they continue to work on the "Brookview Village" 40B development proposal. "It's not coming from a planner looking at the entire city of Marlborough," said ZBA Member Lynn Faust who explained she was also concerned with a lack of impartial data on the need for housing in the area."We have planners for your company but not a planner for the city." She questioned whether a 243 unit residential property — with 61 affordable units — was the best use for this land, something that she said would normally be answered by a city planner with a larger view of what the city needs and where. This position has not been filled for years, she said. The discussion was sparked as the …
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1:00 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
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