At the 8/14 meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Chair Denis Keohane provided an update on the status of the Hendries property. Keohane has been a member of a group of officials and residents that has been meeting with the Connellys, the owners of the property, to develop and discuss reviving a mixed use building that satisfies the zoning, addresses neighborhood concerns, and is financially viable to the Connellys.

The group includes Senator Joyce, Alex Whiteside, Chair of the Planning Board, Annmarie Fagan, Town Administrator, Denis Keohane, Chair of Board of Selectmen, Peter Mullin and Cheryl Tougias, neighborhood residents who had been critical of the original plan. The special permit for that plan was denied by the Planing Board.

The group has been meeting on Sunday mornings. Bill Clark, Town Planner, has also been present at some of the sessions. Not all members have attended all meetings. Keohane acknowledged Senator Joyce who has been instrumental in bringing everyone together because after denial by PB “fell apart.”

Keohane made the following points in summarizing the status:

• Cheryl Tougias of Spaulding Tougias Architects agreed to step up and be the architect pro bono. She “designed the new building.”
• The Connelly’s are “back on board” with a mixed use development
• At the request of neighbors, the building would be pushed back from corner 10′ which creates a “big public amenity.” There will be a number of parking spaces in back of building. The public amenity will be green space in which people can sit and enjoy a lunch
• There will be 38 units, 3 of which will be affordable
• A landscape architect met with Whiteside and Tougias and came up with a design that was agreeable to Tougias, Whiteside, and the developer.
• Tougias and Connelly’s attorney will present the plans at two neighborhood meetings to be scheduled in September
• As Keohane understood it, Mullin was present at the meetings to represent the neighbors
• The building should be taken down before the winter sets in

In addition, Keohane noted that there is an appraisal being done of the town-owned portion of the building. The property will be put out for bid and awarded to the highest bidder. It is assumed that will be the Connellys and that if successful the plans “will fall into place.”

Keohane noted twice during is remarks that as he is in the real estate development business he understands not everyone will be happy with the proposal.

Member Conlon asked after the status of a portion of the building that has no owner. Bill Clark said that Town Counsel John Flynn had a title search performed but that he was out of town at the moment and that an update on that would need to wait for his return. Mr. Clark also said that the 40B application the Connellys made was incomplete. Its status is unknown.

Steve Connelly has not yet responded to an email seeking confirmation that pursuing a 40B has suspended and that they were seriously considering the revised proposal developed by this group.

Should the Connellys purchase the town-owned portion of the building, and assuming the plan is one they are comfortable with, then it will need to go back before the Planning Board and follow the standard special permit application process.