ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
The Peabody/Lynn Elks Lodge on Oak Street in Peabody may be torn down to make room for an 80-unit apartment development.
By LEAH DEARBORN
PEABODY — City departments have expressed concern about a pending 80-unit apartment development at 40 Oak St., known as The Residences at O’Shea Field.
“Right now it’s very speculative,” said Stacey Bernson, Assistant Director of Community Development.
The heads of city departments presented concerns related to public safety, area flooding, financial feasibility and project design at a construction review meeting in December.
Bernson said police and fire departments expressed worries regarding traffic and accessibility to the property in the event of an emergency.
She said the Recreation, Parks and Forestry Department has also spoken out against the project on the grounds that there are no playgrounds or green spaces nearby for potential tenants to use.
She said the Elks Lodge on the site has a purchase and sale agreement with developer Larkin Real Estate, Inc.
“We’re certainly going to propose a project no different than other projects the city has seen in terms of review,” said John Smolak, an attorney representing the development. “The site was identified by the city itself for affordable housing. It’s curious how the city feels it’s not an acceptable place now.”
Smolak said the developers will follow all imposed guidelines and that the approval of the Conservation Commission is necessary for it to move forward.
Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. acknowledged the inclusion of the site in the city’s 2013 Housing Production Plan in a Dec. 21 letter addressed to the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency.
“We understand that at first glance, this site appears to be an ideal location for a housing development … The proposed scale and density included in our plan is significantly less than what has been proposed by the developer,” said Bettencourt in the letter.
School Committee member Tom Rossignoll said the board added their names to the development opposition out of concern that the housing could have a negative effect on the already overcrowded Welch Elementary School.
As part of the 40B process for affordable housing, Bernson said the project will be reviewed by the state before it can move forward.
The comments made by various departments and abutters have been submitted to MassHousing, said Bernson, and the city should know by end of month whether the development has been approved by the state.
Leah Dearborn can be reached at [email protected].