76-Unit Development on Essex Street Under Discussion
On Wednesday night, the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) met to consider the application for a 76-unit apartment building at 164 Essex Street.
Projection of Potential Development at 164 Essex Street
From O'Sullivan Architects, Materials Prepared for Application
The site is currently an overflow parking lot for Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, and sits next to the commuter rail tracks and the Residence at Melrose Station. The developers are Laura and Sean Szekely, and their team, Cedar Park Development, LLC. While the Szekelys have been involved in several single-family developments in Melrose, they have most recently been involved in another development at 28 Greenwood Street, which the ZBA conditionally approved on November 13, 2023.
The developers filed a 40B application, which means that, because at least 25% of the units will be considered affordable, the process of approval is streamlined relative to ordinary applications for zoning variances.
The site is “underutilized” in a “transit rich location” that was targeted in the city’s Housing Production Plan, and, in February, Mayor Jen Grigoraitis wrote a letter in support of the project. In her letter, Grigoraitis described the project as “an extremely valuable contribution to our critically low [housing] supply,” and contributes to the city’s “focus on smart growth and transit-oriented development.”
Meeting with 164 Essex Street Developers and Neighbors
Photo Credit: Nancy Clover
The developers explained that they have improved on their process after learning from their own project at Greenwood Street (which took almost eight months for approval) and watching the progress of other developments, including the complex to be built nearby at 14-24 Tremont Street. They stated that they involved city staff early on in the process and took the city’s input into account in their planning, and also held meetings with abutters to find ways to attempt to mitigate some of the worst effects of construction on the neighborhood.
The 5-story building will have 76 rental units, 19 of which will be affordable. There will be covered parking on the 1st floor, with 54 spaces for residents. All units can be made into accessible units, which the developers believe will make the building appealing for young families as well as for seniors who wish to age in place. The building will contain 4 studio, 50 one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, and 8 three-bedroom apartments. The building will have all-electric heating and cooling with a solar array on the roof. It will also feature some landscaping and benches in the front, although most of the lot will be taken up by housing and parking.
Projection of Potential Development at 164 Essex Street
From O'Sullivan Architects, Materials Prepared for Application
Dan Mills, the project’s traffic engineer, expressed that, given the walkability and transit accessibility of the neighborhood, the development is likely to have minimal impact on traffic relative to the parking lot that currently occupies the space. He pointed out that, in this area, 50% of residents drive to work regularly, and this is likely to be true of this building’s residents as well, making the ratio of parking to units in the building reasonable. Mayor Grigoraitis also stated in her letter that “the City supports the parking ratio, which is common among many of the multifamily buildings in Melrose.”
Two neighbors on Essex Street spoke during the public comment period, and both expressed their concern over the size of the project and the reality of whether it can truly be a transit-oriented development. One neighbor expressed that “the developer has done a great job of taking every square foot on the property and developing it” and questioned why this type of density is necessary on a site that isn’t especially large to begin with. Another neighbor pointed out that people use the commuter rail very differently from rapid transit like the Orange LIne, and expressed doubts that “people will come here and drop their cars to take the commuter rail.”
The ZBA will perform a site visit on June 2nd, and continue their discussion of the project at their June 5th remote meeting. Any Melrose residents wishing to comment on the project can attend the June 5th meeting via Zoom or submit their comments ahead of time by mail or email. You can find more information about the ZBA's meetings here.
For links to the supporting documents about the project provided by the developers, visit this site.
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