Planning Board Space Rule Interpretation Contradicts New York Developers for $5 Million Project
The Norwood Planning Board last night signed an official letter to the Board of Appeals, defining its strict interpretation of zoning bylaws which cover the proposed Norwood Gardens apartment complex.
The board’s explicit dimensional interpretation directly contradicts that of Bernard Martin, attorney for the three New York developers who control the 30-acre construction site located off Sumner Street. The signed advisory letter stated in part: “We unequivocally state our position is that two acres and additional 4,000 square feet for each unit, above and beyond the original two acres, is necessary.”
Bernard Martin has conversely interpreted the local zoning law to mean that twenty individual 4,000-square-foot apartments could be legally built on a baseline two-acre parcel, with every single additional unit over that 20-unit threshold requiring another 4,000 square feet of land. Three public hearings have already been held before the Board of Appeals at the direct request of neighborhood abutters who are formally opposing the proposed complex.
Under the mathematical interpretation of the zoning bylaw verified by the planning board, the developers of Norwood Gardens currently lack 87,140 square feet of mandatory area for the first building, which is slated to contain 44 apartment units. Furthermore, they lack 85,130 square feet of area for the second building, which is designed to contain 54 units. These are the two specific structures for which initial building permits were issued back on April 1 to kick off the proposed $5 million housing project. The Board of Appeals has a fixed legal deadline until August 1 to reach a final decision on the possible revocation of those building permits. However, James J. Drummey, appeals board chairman, noted that any final decision reached by the board could still be reversed later by the courts.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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