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Business & Tech

Plans in Place for Cedar Street Housing Project

Although commentary has been difficult to come by, the Planning Board's documents tell all we need to know for now.

Plans are in place for a nine-unit housing project at a large unused lot on Cedar Street. The owner/developer of 270 Cedar St. is awaiting a foundation permit from the city, according to city planning official, Monica Lamboy.

Lamboy, the executive director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, said that once a foundation permit is secured, the modular residence will need state approval. Then, modular pieces will be shipped in and assembled. Neither Lamboy nor Ward 5 Alderman Sean O'Donovan has a concrete timetable for the project.

The nearly 15,000-square-foot parcel is located next to the bridge near Broadway. It was purchased in November by "661 Main St. Unit 11, Malden, MA 02148," according to the city's assessing department. James Douglas, the entity's contact person, did not return calls for comment.

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In September, the Planning Board approved 661 Main St. in Malden's application for a new structure with nine residential units; the next month, the Zoning Board of Appeals also voted in favor of the project. Both bodies also granted a variance for 12 parking spaces at 270 Cedar St.

The building will be three stories tall and situated in the northern portion of the site. The portion of land closed to the railroad tracks will be reserved as a landscape area, and the southern end will serve as a parking lot.

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At the end of last year, the two structures on the property were demolished. Those buildings had been vacant for a long time, according to Planning Board documents. Louis T. Filosi, the previous owner of the property, said he wasn't sure how long the buildings had gone unused, but one online retail sale listings indicates they’d been empty since at least 2007.

According to Filosi, an auto parts store and Curves fitness center previously used the site. Last year the Planning Board determined the proposed housing project would serve the neighborhood better than the unattractive mess visible at the time.

The Planning Board clearly spelled out its intentions on a publicly visible document as such:  "Currently, a neglected vacant commercial building is located on the site," it said. "The proposal as designed will enhance the appearance of the area by infilling the site of this vacant building and replacing it with a structure that is comparable to its neighbors."

The document adds that the applicant has proposed a landscaping plan that uses a mix of trees and shrubs to screen the new building from the neighbors and railroad tracks.

Last year Alderman At Large Bruce Desmond helped set up two neighborhood meetings about the project. Desmond couldn't be reached for comment. Planning documents state that Desmond supports the plan, and no neighbors indicated opposition to the proposal at the meetings.

Planning Board Chairman Kevin Prior and Economic Development Director Rob May could also not be reached for information about the project.

Drawings of the planned structure are provided on the city's website.

 

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