By Seth Daniel
A new, scaled-down housing proposal for the entrance to Broadway would, according to developers, give the entrance to the central part of Broadway a new and modern feel for those visiting the city.
Eric and Joan Kenworthy had proposed a 15-unit apartment building right off of Sweetser Circle at 302 Broadway, but have scaled back the proposal to 10 units and are headed to the Planning Board on Monday, Aug. 21.
“A key part of this is that it is a very important location because it’s the first building when you come off the rotary to Broadway,” said Attorney Anthony Rossi. “This will be what visitors or tourists see first when they are coming up from the casino. This will signal that this will be how Everett is going to be now and moving forward…It’s a very clean and modern look.”
The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) approved the project as a 15-unit building with 15 parking spots in July, but after a conversation with abutters and the City, Rossi said it has been scaled back to 10 units.
That is how it will be presented to the Planning Board.
“It was originally 15 units when it went to the Board,” he said. “Some local officials and abutters wanted us to downsize it a bit. So, as a result of those conversations, we reduced the project by one-third.
“It’s a really nice and clean and contemporary design,” he said, adding that there will be outdoor space, a community room and a bike path in front.
The majority of the units are two-bedrooms and one-bedrooms – so there are no large units or micro units.
The new scaled down design allows for 15 parking spots for 10 units, giving them 1.5 spaces per unit.
Additionally, the project would be the first to be subject to the new Inclusionary Zoning affordable housing requirements. Another project on Bow Street had been the first, but it was withdrawn this week.
Rossi said they have planned to include one unit of affordable housing in the project according to the guidelines. It will have all of the same finishes and amenities of the market-rate units.