From: Columbine Cliff Neighborhood Association
To: Emily Innes, Chair, Milton Planning Board with cc: to Edward Duffy, Michael Kelly, Bernard Lynch, Alexander Whiteside, William Clark; Steven Connelly
The Columbine Cliff Neighborhood Association (CCNA) is a non-profit neighborhood association dedicated to promoting, protecting and maintaining the CCNA area and the Town of Milton. The Association represents the approximately 900 households within our neighborhood boundaries including the Neponset River, Central Avenue, Brook Road, and Blue Hills Parkway.
CCNA has been an active supporter of the revitalization of the Central Avenue Business District throughout the revitalization process. We strongly support the redevelopment of 131 Eliot Street in an appropriately scaled and welldesigned manner.
The CCNA Board has been actively and constructively participating in the Special Permit process before the Planning Board. The CCNA Board is dismayed to hear the developer at the Board’s April 26, 2012 meeting state that his proposal has the support of CCNA.
The CCNA Board has never previously formally discussed the developer’s proposal, but in light of his public misstatement regarding CCNA’s position the CCNA Board has voted the following statements:
- CCNA does not support the redevelopment proposal in its current form. The current proposal does not meet the zoning provisions required to approve the project and award a special permit. The Planning Board has documented the proposal’s zoning deficiencies, questions, and outstanding items several times, most recently at the March 1st and April 26th meetings. The developer has not revised his proposal in order to remove the deficiencies or to resolve the outstanding items, including critical aspects such as building height and setbacks, parking, traffic, FAR, and public amenity.
- CCNA is opposed to providing an FAR bonus for natural resource protection. The Town Counsel has stated that the current proposal does not meet the legal requirements for a bonus, therefore the Planning Board should vote to deny the bonus. The developer demonstrated a lack of desire to protect the site’s natural resources in the removal of the historic black oak, after repeated requests to save it. Therefore he should not be awarded the FAR bonus.
- We strongly support the Planning Board’s stance in keeping the public hearing open until all design decisions are resolved, giving the public an opportunity to participate. This has always been the Planning Board’s procedure and is a critical component of the Planning Board public review process. The hearing should be closed only after: a) the developer has demonstrated that his proposal meets all requirements including zoning; b) the Planning Board is satisfied that the proposal has addressed the concerns of the neighborhood; c) the developer has submitted all required documentation; and d) the Planning Board is satisfied with the proposal and believes the proposal is in the long term interest of the Town. Alternatively, the Planning Board should reject the application if an acceptable project proposal cannot be reached.
- We implore the Town to require that the owner promptly and safely remove any and all hazardous materials from the building, demolish the existing building, and secure the site. This will eliminate an eyesore for the neighborhood and the commercial district, as well as eliminate the significant public safety hazard of the current building. We understand that the Planning Board does not have direct jurisdiction in the matter of the deteriorated existing building, however, this is an important element in the consideration of the proposed development.
- We are committed to work constructively towards an appropriate redevelopment of 131 Eliot Street. We are willing and available to meet directly with the developer and we are willing and available to provide assistance to the Planning Board and the Town as appropriate in support of a successful redevelopment.
Respectfully submitted,
Columbine Cliff Neighborhood Association
ccnamilton@gmail.com
Thomas Buchau
Ellen DeNooyer
William Hanna
Ruth Heiden
Keith Mills
Peter Mullin
Robert Murray
Randal Rucker
Ronit Voigt