Washington-Swanton Redevelopment

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The Winchester Zoning Board of Appeals has scheduled a public hearing at 7 PM on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 to consider a 40B Comprehensive Permit for 278 and 292 Washington Street, and 12 and 16 through 20 Swanton Street. The hearing is currently scheduled to be held in the Select Board's hearing room on the 2nd floor of Town Hall.

ZBA Meeting Notice in Town Calendar

ZBA Agenda

Brian_Vernaglia-4

Since we own or at least owned this property, any reason it is going the 40B route?

Ann_Sera-1

Brian_Vernaglia-4 It was somehow always destined to be a friendly 40B. Perhaps there's a large advantage to a developer, such as available funding, if the project is devleoped under 40B rather than if the Town holds the property and just hires an architect and builder or has some other arrangement? There is some explanation of what happened after Town Meeting voted to acquire the property in the following letter, from the SB Chair to various residents (not sure who received it) regarding the evolution of Land Disposal Agreement: (This is worth reading, it's a sweet deal for the developer!)
Letter about LDA

All files for the project are available here: SWANTON AND WASHINGTON 40B.

Terence_Tirella-2

With the increase in traffic (new 730 weekday trips) likely to exacerbate the cut-through traffic through Harvard, Irving, Chester, and Florence streets (it's already bad now) what's the process for getting better traffic enforcement or adjustments? For example, making some or all of these streets resident only during the morning school drop-off and commute window (e.g. 7:30-9:30).

Ann_Sera-1

Hi Ms. McGrath,

Why did the July 22 hearing for Swanton/Washington get cancelled and how was it cancelled? Did the developer request the delay? Was there no quorum? Was there a facilities problem with the meeting room?
Importantly, did someone open the hearing and immediately adjourn it so that it formally took place? In April 2025, the developer submitted the application for comprehensive special permit and the review process began. I understand that these topic-centric meetings are being labelled “special hearings”, but the “special” label doesn’t erase the plain fact that these meetings constitute the ZBA’s 40B comprehensive permit review. As such, when any meeting that reviews the project closes, it must be continued to a date and time certain, and then the continued hearing must formally take place. No act of God occurred that physically prevented some member of the ZBA from visiting the meeting room. Therefore, even if the meeting room was not particularly serviceable and/or there was no quorum, the hearing would still have had to formally open and been continued to a different date and time certain. I see that there is a ZBA meeting on July 29 and on August 21; why wasn’t this Washington/Swanton meeting properly rescheduled to one of those dates?

Now we are in a situation where there is no definite date and time for a 40B comprehensive review hearing that is underway, which is a situation that is simply not supposed to occur. And there is no way to predict when the continued hearing will be held, nor what is currently happening with the project. Is a redesign occurring? Is the project experiencing funding issues? Are the developers meeting with staff? Is the developer renegotiating the LDA? There is absolutely no transparency. How and when with the ZBA correct this situation?

-Ann Sera
Precinct 1 Town Meeting Chair

Ann_Sera-1

Ann_Sera-1 First, why on earth can't we edit original posts on this discussion board! ???!!!!??!?

I would have deleted the original posting and posted only Ms McGrath's response, which contains the important information. I guess I'll have to post the entire thread here instead now that I cannot alter the top level posting.
[folks, this is not how discussion boards work! Also, I'll point out that important, topical discussions like 160 Forest should not just disappear forever!]

No worries Ms. Sera,
I’m glad I could help - and thank you for getting the word out!!

Kindly,

Carla DeLuca McGrath
Zoning Coordinator
71 Mt. Vernon Street, Winchester, MA 01890
781.960.3629
cmcgrath@winchester.us

From: Ann Sera annsera.winchester@gmail.com
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2025 11:43 AM
To: McGrath, Carla cmcgrath@winchester.us
Subject: Re: Swanton/Washington

Ms. McGrath,

I believe that I did see attorney Vaughn's request in early July and forgot about it ! Very sorry about my mistake!

There are some other neighbors that wonder about the delay, I will make sure to let them know that the attorney requested the delay and that I had forgotten about it.

-Ann. (on mobile)

On Mon, Jul 28, 2025, 11:34 AM McGrath, Carla cmcgrath@winchester.us wrote:
Ms. Sera,

Thank you for your email. The attorney for the 40B Comprehensive permit meeting regarding Washinton and Swanton requested a continuance on July 1, 2025. I have attached that request for your convenience. This request and all documents pertaining to the 40b proposal are available by accessing the electronic file link on the Town of Winchester Zoning Board webpage . This request was uploaded to the file on 7.2.25. The 7.22.25 meeting cancellation was posted to the town website on July 2, 2025. I am in the process of rescheduling this meeting to sometime in September as requested by the petitioner’s attorney. Once I have confirmed a date, I will repost to the town website and send a notice to the abutters as a courtesy.

Kindly,

Carla DeLuca McGrath
Zoning Coordinator
71 Mt. Vernon Street, Winchester, MA 01890
781.960.3629
cmcgrath@winchester.us

From: annsera.winchester@gmail.com annsera.winchester@gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2025 8:47 AM
To: McGrath, Carla cmcgrath@winchester.us
Subject: Swanton/Washington

Hi Ms. McGrath,

-Ann Sera
Precinct 1 Town Meeting Chair
[CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe]
The Town of Winchester does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected group. The contents of this e-mail, and any attachments, are the property of the Town of Winchester, and are subject to the Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66
[CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe]
The Town of Winchester does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected group. The contents of this e-mail, and any attachments, are the property of the Town of Winchester, and are subject to the Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66

Rich_Rohan-2

Update from Zoning Coordinator Carla McGrath

Good afternoon,

Please note the following regarding the 40b Comprehensive Permit for Washington and Swanton.

The 40b meeting will be continued to September 25, 2025 in the Selectboard Room at Winchester Town Hall 7pm.
The petitioner has indicated they will provide revised plans by September 4, 2025. Once I receive the plans I will forward them to each Department, Board etc. as well as make available in the electronic file. Folder icon SWANTON AND WASHINGTON 40B

A courtesy notice will be mailed to abutters indicating the date and time of the September 25th meeting. The agenda will be posted to the town website as usual.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kindly,

Carla DeLuca McGrath
Zoning Coordinator
71 Mt. Vernon Street, Winchester, MA 01890
781.960.3629
cmcgrath@winchester.us

Riemer Braunstein
Mark T. Vaughan
mvaughan@riemerlaw.com
(617) 880-3457 direct
(617)692-3457 fax

August 13, 2025

VIA EMAIL
Dorothy Simboli, Chair
Zoning Board of Appeals
Town of Winchester
71 Mt. Vernon Street
Winchester, MA 01890
Re: Comprehensive Permit Application
12,16 and 20 Swanton Street and 278-292 Washington Street, Winchester

Dear Chair Simboli and Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals:

As you are aware, this office and the undersigned represent Melanson Development Group, Inc.
(“Applicant”) regarding the property located at 12, 16 and 20 Swanton Street and 278-292 Washington
Street, Winchester, Massachusetts and (“Premises”) concerning the above referenced matter.
As indicated previously in our letter dated July 1, 2025, the Applicant has been collaborating
closely with its consultants regarding modifications to the submitted plans, which modifications would
result in various efficiencies in terms of building design, parking, functionality and overall financial
feasibility. The plans are currently being finalized, and we anticipate having the revisions submitted to
the Town on or before September 4, 2025. The following is intended to be a brief bullet point summary
of the proposed revisions:

• Relocated resident entry to Washington Street for improved visibility and to align better with
presumed resident arrival and departure routes.

• Created resident lobby that will contain lobby, secure mail and package space, a
leasing/management office, resident lounge, and amenity fitness, among other programming yet to
be determined

• Lowered the resident amenity courtyard to the first floor level, for direct adjacency to the new
building amenities and lobby.

• Resident parking garage will continue to have its sole access from Swanton Street. The total
number of residential parking spaces has been reduced to 87 (this will provide 1 parking space for
every 1 -bedroom unit, and 2 parking spaces for every 2-bedroom unit and larger)

Riemer&Braunstein LLP
700 District Avenue 11th Floor • Burlington, MA 01 803-5008
BOSTON / NEW YORK / CHICAGO / MIAMI / NEWPORT BEACH / BURLINGTON

August 13, 2025

Page 2

• Reduction of proposed commercial space from 5,656 sf+/- to 3,900 sf+/-

• 11+/- surface parking spaces provided off of Washington Street to service the commercial space,
as well as resident delivery vehicles, including USPS and improved fire truck access.

• Improved the building efficiency to improve financial viability, marketability and optimize
resident experience.

• Plan updates result in decreasing the building footprint by +/- 2,300 SQFT, and decreasing the
typical residential floor plate by +/- 1,400 SQFT, for an overall smaller building on the site.

• Increase the number of residential units from 60 to 64. All 64 units will count towards the Town’s
SHI.

current unit mix is:
42 1BR
15 2BR
7 3 BR

previous unit mix:
37 1BR
17 2BR
6 3 BR

We understand that the Board is considering a continued hearing date of September 25, 2025,
which would work for our team. We also understand that the Board may wish to readvertise notice of the
continued public hearing.

If you have questions whatsoever, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you very much for
your time and consideration.

Very truly yours,
Mark T. Vaughan

MTV:jbf
4438307.2
Riemer St Braunstein LLP
BOSTON / NEW YORK / CHICAGO / MIAMI / NEWPORT BEACH / BURLINGTON