COURTESY PHOTO
Pictured is a rendering for the $100 million development planned for transforming the Hilltop Steak House site.
By BETHANY DOANE
SAUGUS — With initial approvals in place for the redevelopment of the Hilltop Steak House site, residents are invited to tour the property alongside officials on March 11.
The Planning Board accepted a proposal for Davis Square Architects to review AvalonBay Communities’ master plan for a $100 million mixed-use development. Both the master plan review and site plan public hearings until their next meeting. Plans include turning 13.9 acres of the site into a residential and retail mecca. The frontage will house one-story retail space, and three four-story residential buildings will be in the rear.
The retail space will be a welcoming “front door” to the site, with a mixture of brick, stone and synthetic stucco, as well as various rooflines, said Michael Roberts, senior vice president of development with AvalonBay.
“It won’t be big box retail, but retail that’s of use to the surrounding area and designed to fit in with it,” he said.
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The site will be pedestrian-friendly, too, with multiple sidewalks and good connectivity, he said.
The residential space will have a total of 280 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, and a one-story clubhouse with an outdoor swimming pool.
Parking will be evenly distributed among the separate buildings, with additional parking under two residential buildings. Retaining walls will help reduce noise and light from headlight beams, and a deceleration lane going in and out of the lot will help the stream of traffic.
Also, one acre of landscaping will be strategically spread throughout the site. The added vegetation will help to create a sound buffer, improve the air quality and address one of the project’s biggest issues: the water drainage.
“The drainage and sewer infrastructure has some issues, and we have a plan to assess it,” Roberts said.
Vegetation along the perimeter and in the center of the site will slow down and increase the volume of water drainage.
From an overall drainage perspective, the nature of the development, and the green space provided, will greatly improve water drainage from site, he said.
“There will be less storm water draining from the site; we’ll improve the stormwater running from the site onto Forest Street, and will have an engineer look at what is specifically causing issues.”
AvalonBay will put in new sewer, drain and water systems, with internal looping around the property, creating a good water supply to retail services and fire protection. Two existing service lines will go through conservation wetlands, which are being preserved in the back of the site.
A roof runoff going into an existing pipe will also help with drainage. The drainage will reuse the existing connection to Forest Street, but everything on-site will be brand new, and the development will change run-off away from the parking lot, Roberts said.
Preserving wetlands and improving water drainage aren’t the only challenges offered by the site; there’s also a major gas line to contend with. Buildings on the property will be set back from a natural gas pipeline right of way.
Davis Square Architects will report their findings of the master plan to the Planning Board, which will use the findings to shape its decision on the proposal. Davis Square works for the town, but their review will be paid for by AvalonBay.