The development of new condos and apartments is changing the face of Wellesley real estate bit by bit from the Belclare to The Nines and from Weston Road to Linden Street to Burke Lane. The latest proposal, dubbed 8 Cliff Road, envisions 60 market rate condos and 9 units classified as affordable situated across 4 acres at the intersection of Cliff Road and Rte. 9 (aka, Worcester Street).
The project team, which gobbled up a prominent property at 489 Worcester Rd. with a recent messy background for $2.3M along with 4 and 14 Cliff Rd., has begun doing the rounds at Wellesley government bodies. The developers started with the Wellesley Housing Development Corporation in March (see start of Wellesley Media recording), and this week, went before the Select Board (see start of Wellesley Media recording). They’ve also reached out to the fire and engineering departments to discuss public safety and infrastructure issues.
As word of the project has emerged, neighbors have started to wonder how the construction, stormwater management and traffic will impact their lives, as heard during the Select Board meeting. In response, the town has dedicated a chunk of its website to 8 Cliff Road and Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop has started a mailing list for concerned residents.
Wellesley, which in 2018 established a housing production plan to help it achieve state goals for affordable housing and fend off unfriendly development projects, has since reached those state thresholds and continued on a path toward trying to diversify the town’s housing stock beyond unaffordable for most. Grassroots efforts such as Building a Better Wellesley have arisen to advocate for affordable and attainable housing in town, and the state has introduced new multi-family zoning requirements for communities like Wellesley that are along MBTA lines.
The developers of 8 Cliff Road are no strangers to Wellesley multifamily projects, bringing the 35 “meticulously crafted” condos and 4 affordable units of Terrazza on Linden Street and the 26 condos of the Bristol on Weston Road for “connoisseurs of the good life,” plus 2 affordable units. They tried to jam more units into the projects initially, but scaled back after negotiations with the town.
Finding pricing information on those projects’ websites is challenging at best, but listings can be seen online in the $1M-$3M range.
Developer Victor Sheen wouldn’t be nailed down on pricing for 8 Cliff Road upon questioning during the Select Board meeting, though said the project would be aimed at downsizers and families, and tend more toward 3-bedroom units than the 2-bedroom units mainly found at the earlier developments. He said the units would probably be priced lower than for the other projects. Affordable units would include those at 80% of area median income, but depending upon how the project is zoned, could include other pricing levels. Sheen said he’d like to see playgrounds included on the property in light of the condos being aimed in part at young families (this is a subject the Board has been asking about, including at The Nines, which doesn’t yet have a playground).
The developer began his Select Board presentation (see presentation embedded below) with story time, making reference to Wellesley’s origins as a transit-oriented community in the late 1800s with the introduction of the railways here and the emergence of Wellesley Hills (formerly known as Grantville). The properties acquired are just a few minutes by foot from the Wellesley Hills commuter rail station, though the development will have ample underground parking for residents, who more likely than not will be getting around via their own vehicles than relying on the commuter rail’s limited schedule. Sheen appealed to the Board’s appetite for green developments by stating that they are “exploring the possibility of this being a fossil fuel-free building.”
This 8 Cliff Road property has lots more space than either the Weston Road or Delanson/Linden Street projects, so Sheen described extensive landscaping opportunities, and touted an A-list architect brought on board to ensure the aesthetics of the project “celebrates the neighborhood.” There will be an aim to buffer the dwellings from Cliff Road through landscaping and retaining walls, and there are plans to retain and enhance stone walls and apple trees to maintain the property’s legacy. Water elements could be incorporated into the landscape design to lessen the impact to residences of Rte. 9 traffic noise.
The main 3-story building was envisioned in a U-shape when Sheen presented before the Housing Development Corp., but has since morphed into a shape that resembles no letter, but that I think I’ve seen before in the game of “Perfection.” Sheen described ingress and egress plans, including the widening of the 14 Cliff Rd., driveway, designed to queue up traffic within the property itself as opposed to overwhelming Cliff Road or Rte. 9. The main building would be complemented with a series of carriage houses.
From the town’s perspective, it will work with the developer on possible zoning approaches, and this could lead to an article at a Special Town Meeting in the fall if things move along swiftly. The Weston Road and Delanson/Linden Street projects started as 40B plans that give developers zoning breaks in exchange for delivering a certain percentage of affordable units, though wound up being built under Resident Overly Incentive districts with fewer affordable units.
[gview file=”https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/04084552/Select-Board-Zoom-5.2.23.pdf”]
If these are the same builders who built Terrazzo on Linden Street. I would run them out of town.They
have destroyed the Delanson Circle neighborhood with that monstrosity they have built. Apparently the people who are making the decisions in Wellesley housing haven’t driven in Wellesley lately. Where is the traffic going to go. Look at Weston Rd. traffic at 4 to 5 PM. Does anyone in this town have common sense anymore. We have lost our small community. Apparently the money grab is more important.
It’s a money grab; if this was about affordable housing, there would be more than 9 designated units and pricing would not be between $1M-$3M. This pricing does not help people downsize and stay in Wellesley nor does it offer young families interested in living in Wellesley the opportunity to live here.
Tell that to the dozens of people who have already bought the units at Terrazza and The Bristol. Sure, the market-rate units are out-of-reach for many, but the market-rate units are the only reason why some of the other units are affordable in the first place. It doesn’t have to be “about” affordable housing for us to make progress. The intentions of the developer don’t matter if the result is that more middle-income people are able to remain in Wellesley as they age. Besides, when older folks move into these units, they free up existing homes for younger and growing families. That’s a win-win in my book.
Every affordable unit is possible, because of those market rate units.
Agreed, Kim.
More housing near transit is exactly what we need in Wellesley.
It’s nice to see more multifamily developments coming to Wellesley, especially near the commuter rail stations. That should help boost foot traffic and support local businesses. More ice cream shops and fewer banks for Wellesley.
My sentiments exactly, James! I’m sick of seeing the overgrown lot and empty whale of a house at 489 Worcester. Something that reaffirms Wellesley Hills’ “village feel” would make me feel much more proud about our corner of town.
There is nothing village feel about the proposal, it is tone deaf to the context of the neighborhood.
Your opinion about the historic home recently neglected on rte 9 is your opinion only. You don’t get buildings from 1890 back once they are gone, tearing down historic structures ignores the impacts of embodied carbon as well as history of place; it should be done in a careful and considered manner not as a for profit venture for a development group that does not live or work in the town.
Ginger, I think having 100+ people living in brand-new homes that conform to our stretch energy code, many of whom will be newly able to commute via train, will do much more for the environment than preserving one old house, embodied carbon nonwithstanding. Massachusetts has a housing shortage of 200,000+ units, and preserving existing units simply isn’t going to meet that demand. The greenest we can do is to locate homes in places that make it possible for people to live a sustainable lifestyle, and this location fits the bill in my book.
The developer has been quite clear about how they designed the new building to resemble a series of rowhomes, rather than an urban-style apartment block, and how the parking will be obscured by the buildings as is customary in traditional neighborhoods. I agree that the building is not as oriented towards the street as it would be in a “village” environment, but multi-family housing itself is a hallmark of old New England villages.
And just because it’s a “for-profit venture” doesn’t mean it can’t be done in a careful and considerate manner. Why should someone have to live or work in Wellesley in order to invest in our community? The developer proposed something initially, but now it’s an ongoing conversation between the town, the neighbors, and the developer about what’s best for the site. The town has no obligation to approve the project, and without 40B being a factor we have all the leverage we need to make sure the project is in residents’ best interest too.
Bottom line: I don’t want buildings from 1890 back. I want progress – on environmental sustainability, on enhancing neighborhood character, and on housing the next generation of Wellesley residents.
Please move away. There is “progress” all over the place and more “new” than ever before. History matters. The historical integrity of our town matters. We are specifically in this town, in a historic home to celebrate the beauty and worth in the old.
Andrew, I’m a neighbor and an architect at a firm that does a lot of multi family housing. I fully understand and and appreciate the housing needs in the greater Boston area. I’m also deeply familiar with how to build sustainability and with the whole picture of context, walkability, amenities, green space, and the environment as a whole. . Wellesley needs to protect what is important to the town, with careful evaluation of all impacts, both intended or potential unintended, however important and appropriate the overarching goal is.
I’m glad you enjoy your home, Jackie. You can apply to make your house a one-property historic district any time you want.
But the reality is, the progress we’ve made on housing in recent years in town is simply not enough. Housing prices have soared to a point where even wealthy families can only move to town for a few years to access our schools, and then they leave right away after their kids graduate. Seniors who have lived here for decades have to go to Natick or Needham or further away just to find a building with an elevator that they can afford. This housing crisis is eroding our sense of community, and in the long term all of us will suffer.
I don’t think that historic preservation and housing production are mutually exclusive. But what really concerns me is when people like you refuse to acknowledge the problem. What if we allow internal subdivisions of historic homes in exchange for preservation restrictions, turning old mansions into 3- or 4-unit condos? Is that a good compromise?
Ginger, I’m a professional urban planner and I feel the same way. What disturbs me about so much of the conversation around this development is that no one seems willing to talk through these issues. It’s just a reflexive “no” across the board. Whether it’s because of traffic, neighborhood character, historic preservation, or otherwise, people come up with a million excuses why the current proposal is a non-starter, but they don’t (or aren’t willing to) work with the developer or the town to make it better.
I’m personally not married to the current proposal by any means. But it’s hard not to be pigeon-holed into defending the current proposal when everyone else has such a myopic outlook on development in Wellesley.
We are about to see the Bermuda Triangle of traffic congestion! The current route 9 exit ramp, Garden Rd and the proposed 14 Cliff ext. The traffic at several times of day is backed up beyond the 14 Cliff Rd exit. The town has stated that it cant “fix” the problem, but now they will make it worse. Sorry folks.
Neighbors and others who are concerned about this project and wish to be on an email distribution list, please email me: dchiasso@wellesley.edu and we will add you.