Assisted Living and 55-Plus Complex Proposed at Marist Property

Originally posted at midnight on January 19, 2016. Updated to fix a dead link.

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Tonight, Jan. 19 the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals continues its hearing on a proposal by a Southborough builder to construct both an assisted living and a 55-plus housing complex.

The first hearing was held in November 2015 and has been continued and postponed until tonight at 8 in the Blumer Room inside the Memorial Building.

Brendon Homes signed an $4 million agreement to purchase the 28-acre property owned by the Marist Fathers of Boston and submitted plans to build high-end townhouses for those age 55 and older, plus the Southborough company wants to partner with Benchmark Senior Living to construct an assisted-living complex at 518 Pleasant Street.

A previous plan, Walden Behavioral Care, to turn the property into a 80-bed treatment center failed. Walden dropped its plan in October 2014.

The plans submitted to the Town of Framingham is for 14 memory care units and 38 assisted living units, plus constriction of 60 high-end townhouse condos, deed restricted for those age 55 and older.

Brendon Homes is requesting a special permit from the ZBA to develop an assisted-living center and a dimensional variance from side setback requirements.

In 2015, the Town of Framingham’s Building Commissioner Michael Tusino denied a building permit stating the applicant needed a special permit from the ZBA for the assisted living component, and a special permit from the Framingham Planning Board for the adult active housing proposed.

At the ZBA hearing in November 2015, attorney Paul Galvani, representing Brendon Homes, said the current single Marist property lot would be divided into two lots. One lot would be about 20 acres and exclusively for the over 55 project and the second lot 8.65 acres would be for the 52-unit assisted living facility.

The assisted living units would be rented.

Brendon Homes owner Brendon Giblin told the ZBA the plus with the proposal is that it would provide more than $700,000 in tax revenue for the Town of Framingham, without adding students to the school system.

ZBA members at the November 2015 hearing said they worried about traffic at the busy intersection of Temple and Pleasant streets. The previous Walden project was rejected, in part, due to traffic concerns.

ZBA Chair Phil Ottaviani questioned whether more traffic impacts would come from the over 55 plus component or the assisted living component.

Zoning Board member Suze Craighead said she feared traffic would be worse with the current plan as opposed to the formerly rejected Walden plan; and wanted to see a traffic study.

A consultant said a traffic study was being done but said both components of the project are “low-traffic generators.”

Town Meeting member Kevin Crotty, said he believed the assisted living would increase truck traffic in the area. He was not the only resident to speak at the November public hearing.

Resident Ed Mann said the traffic already is so bad it can take him 20 minutes to go from his home in the neighborhood to his office near the CVS at Route 9 and Temple Street.

Framingham resident Steven Brown said he was opposed to the plan based on traffic concerns. he said the neighborhood is made up of single homes, but he also said he doesn’t like the new nine house development across the street from the proposal.

Town Meeting member Bill McCarthy said he supposed the plan for the over 55 part of the project but not for the assisted living component. He said there was no need for the assisted living beds in Framingham, and the plan should be completely over 55.

Framingham resident Mary Ellen Kelly said in neighborhood meetings before Brendon Homes purchased the property an assisted living component was never presented. She said other assisted living facilities in this area are not filled.

Town Meeting member Kathie McCarthy of Precinct 10 said she was unhappy that she not invited to either of the two neighborhood meetings Brendon Homes held before the ZBA hearing.

Gilblin said he was not in control of the invitation list for those neighborhood meetings, despite hosting the meetings.

Town Meeting member William LaBarge, from Precinct 16 which is not where the plan is proposed for, said the the assisted living is residential and not commercial. “We are all going to get old,” he said.

Resident Bob Dodd asked for clarification on whether the the 52-units in the assisted living would mean 52 individuals or 104 individuals at the facility.

Town Meeting member Ken High said he was confused by the neighborhood support for the over 55 component of the project and the opposition of the assisted living component. He said at the November hearing both components allow Framingham residents to stay in town with family and friends.

Gilbin said his plan would allow 65 percent of the site to remain as open space, a plus.

At the public hearing, he also said his plan would generate less traffic concerns than other proposed uses for the site.

The Zoning Board hearing was originally continued to December 15 and then postponed to January 2016.

Brendon Homes built the homes currently for sale in Saxonville at Montage at Danforth Green. His company also built Mahoney Farms in Sudbury and Wayland Commons and River Trail Place in Wayland.