Table of Contents
By Richard Rohan
Amended on Sept. 12, 2023 At Tuesday’s Planning Board meeting, Civico Development and Causeway Development unveiled their plans for a 60-unit mixed income rental building on the Town-owned land known as the Waterfield lot, adjacent to the Winchester Center MBTA station.
After the presentation the Planning Board voted to schedule at least three additional hearing dates. Town staff was asked to work with the applicants to come up with a scope of work and cost for peer-review of the proposal. The planning board had previously given the go ahead for staff to negotiate a scope of work with Weston and Sampson for stormwater management review and with Toole for a review of parking and traffic. The board is collecting recommendations from board members and from former Town Planner Brian Szekely for a design firm to conduct a peer review on the design.
Although there were no public comments made at the August 8 meeting, it is anticipated that there will be time allotted at each of the upcoming meetings for public comment. Additionally, comments can be emailed to PLANNINGBOARD@WINCHESTER.US. Also, the Planning Board will be requesting comments from other town boards and committees, including the Winchester Housing Partnership Board.
Documents pertaining to the development will be posted on the Planning Board’s webpage https://winchester.us/1091/WaterfieldCivico-Project
The anticipated schedule of upcoming meetings is as follows.
August 22, 2023 - Approve the scope of work for the outside peer-review consultants, Weston and Sampson for stormwater management and Toole for parking and traffic. Interview design firms and designate a consultant for design peer review.
September 12, 2023 - Discussion of the project’s stormwater management plan with the applicants' consultant (Horsley Witten Group) and the Town’s peer consultant (Weston and Sampson).
September 26, 2023 - Discussion of parking and traffic with the applicants' consultant (VHB) and the Town’s peer consultant (Toole).
Additional meetings will be scheduled to accept a scope of work for a peer review design firm and for discussion of the project’s design.
Richard Rohan is a precinct 2 Town Meeting Member
