SWAMPSCOTT — Concerns over traffic and public safety prevailed during a public discussion session that the Select Board held at the last meeting to inform its letter to MassHousing about the proposed 160-unit Chapter 40B project at Archer Street/Foster Road.
The developers were represented by Attorney Jason Panos of Peabody-based Panos Law Group and Hayes Engineering at the meeting on Wednesday. The members of the Select Board expressed their disappointment over the absence of the owners of the project at the meeting.
“I find it a little disingenuous that the developers are not here for the project of this scope,” said Select Board member Don Hause.
In his presentation of the Atlantic Bay View Residences project, Panos reiterated that the developers are seeking to build a 160-unit, five-story apartment building shaped like the letter “C” on a 4.8-acre wooded plot of land at the end of Archer Street. The main access to the site is proposed through 54 Foster Road, while emergency access and egress will be provided through Archer Street, a private way partially owned by the developers. The development will have 243 parking spaces or 1.5 spaces per unit.
Panos said that the building design will incorporate typical coastal-style materials, such as stone veneer, gray weathered shingles, white trim and nautical-style railings on balconies.
All 160 units will count towards Swampscott’s Subsidized Housing Inventory, Panos said, which would significantly bump up the affordable-housing ratio that is mandated to be 10 percent by the state. However, only 40 units, or 25 percent of apartments, will be reserved for households earning 80 percent of the Area Mean Family Income adjusted for the household size, in accordance with the Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B. The rest of the units will be for rent at market rate.
Among the project’s other benefits for the town, Panos mentioned building revenue from building permit fees and taxes, off-site drainage improvements, downsizing opportunities for existing residents and a couple of pocket parks. The developers would also reserve 70 percent of affordable units for local residents.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting virtually on Wednesday, said Peter Spellios, member of the Select Board. Numerous speakers reiterated their concern about traffic.
David Grishman, member of the Select Board, said that winding Foster Road yields a lack of visibility of oncoming traffic, especially in winter or during rain.
“Archer and Eureka on the back side are two narrow streets that cannot accommodate two vehicles passing at the same time, much less construction vehicles,” Grishman said.
The residents remembered the previous traffic study done on Foster Road a few years ago that showed that there were 2,200 trips done daily on that street. A traffic study for another proposed 40B project down the road — Elm Place — estimated there would be an additional 578 trips a day from that site just from the residents, said resident Patrick Jones.
“This road cannot support this kind of traffic,” said Jones.
Residents were also concerned about the safety of pedestrians, high-school students running along the roads, shortage of public-safety personnel for traffic enforcement or in case of a fire in the housing complex.
Many speakers pointed out that the project would impact their quality of life. More cars will reduce the walkability and bikeability of the area without proper sidewalks; residents on Foster Road will be dealing with headlights blasting into their houses when cars will be entering and exiting the development.
James Drumheller from Archer Street said he worked very hard to buy his house young.
“The apartment complex will be looming over my backyard within 20-30 feet over my property line,” said Drumheller. “If this project were to be built I don’t think I will even be able to sell my house.”
Sean Hubauer, who lives at the bottom of the hill where Burpee Road meets Foster Road, said that his house will be shaking every time there is a blast at the construction site, because the site is rocky and will need blasting.
The area is also prone to flooding and the residents were concerned that the project would aggravate that. The development would also use the scarce open space in Swampscott and some attendees pointed out that it would be a big loss for the community as hundreds of trees would be taken down.
“I think we have been weak as a community over the last 40 years in acquiring open space,” said resident Jerry Perry, who encouraged the Select Board to do the work needed to address that.
The land between Eureka Avenue, Archer Street and Foster Road is still owned by P&K Funding Trust, Panos said, which belongs to Peter Pantazelos and Kostas Pantazelos. They have been trying to develop it since 2012 in partnership with Ralph DiGiorgio and DiGiorgio and Messina Construction Co., Inc. Their previous plans foresaw construction of an over-55 living facility with 15-22 units.
Over the years the project was stalled by a lawsuit and a Zoning Board of Appeals requirement to create a new access road. Despite the ZBA approval of 15 units, the project was eventually stopped by the Planning Board due to safety concerns.
Panos said that DiGiorgio is not part of the latest project.
By law, the Select Board has 30 days to forward its comments to MassHousing. The Select Board agreed to ask for an extension of this deadline until Feb. 4, so Spellios and Grishman can finish drafting the letter based on the public’s comments, followed by the board’s approval.
If MassHousing issues a Determination of Project Eligibility, the developers will file for a comprehensive permit with the ZBA.