Peabody condo plan brings flooding concerns
By John Castelluccio, The Salem News, Beverly, Mass. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The club would be demolished and the townhouses, built in groups of three or four buildings together, would have two-car garages underneath.
But neighbors say the area is already densely settled, with narrow streets, and located in a flood zone. There are wetlands abutting the parking lot. Streets and backyards are already deluged in bad storms, they say, and they fear 26 new homes will worsen the problem.
Cruz has flood insurance, but says she's one of the only residents in the neighborhood who does.
"That area down there is wetlands ... a swamp,"
"That many townhouses could change the whole lay of the land," she said, and bring with it more flooding, congestion, noise and traffic. She said she's not against housing and isn't sure what the best use of the property might be, but "overcrowding is a problem. ... I certainly don't think throwing in 26 townhouses is the best use of that property."
Larkin said the area floods because of the brooks that converge on the downtown, the low elevation of the land and poor drainage. That's beyond his control.
"But we can try to control as much as we can onsite," he said. He noted a previous housing proposal had nearly double the number of units.
"I think we bring a lot to the neighborhood," Larkin said. He believes new housing and more families will benefit downtown businesses and be a positive addition to the neighborhood.
The townhouses would have two or three bedrooms, 11/2 baths and small backyards at an affordable price, said Larkin. Four of the condos would be set aside as affordable housing.
Larkin said his firm would purchase the property from the Elks, pending approval of city permits, and the club would relocate. Larkin hopes to secure an order of conditions from the
Representatives from the
DelNegro said only four residents spoke publicly at a recent hearing, but several others were in the audience. Ward 2 Councilor
McGinn said he's still in "fact-finding" mode and can't commit to supporting or opposing the project.
"It's clearly a low-lying area," he said, and he believes the project should be scrutinized closely. He said he isn't sure of the Elks' plan for the future.
"Any kind of development that happens hopefully will be neutral or reduce flooding," he said. "On the right scale, I'm not necessarily opposed to it."
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