With people forking over multi-millions to move into Wellesley’s newly-opened Bristol and Terrazza condo developments, we’re reminded that these were among a batch of pre-pandemic housing proposals that spurred the town to gain more control over what could and couldn’t be built here well before anyone had heard of anything called the MBTA Communities Act.
When Wellesley back in 2018 had its housing production plan approved by the state, it enabled the town to stem a flood of proposed 40B developments, some crammed into neighborhood nooks and crannies. The housing production plan put the town on a path toward having at least 10% of its housing stock deemed affordable, and that gave Wellesley more say over such 40B proposals that cut developers slack around zoning bylaws in exchange for including a handful of affordable units.
But let’s take a look at where those 40Bs that were proposed ahead of the production plan now stand.
The town website still maintains a page listing more than a half dozen 40B projects. Given that the documents on this page are frozen in time and some of the projects have morphed since, it’s tricky to pinpoint how many housing units the town has gained through these developments. By our count, they add up to 170-plus units, with more than 30 deemed affordable based on a state formula.
The Bristol and Terrazza mentioned above were initially referred to as Wellesley Park and Wellesley Crossing, respectively. These one-time 40B proposals were later approved under residential overlay incentive (RIO) district zoning rather than 40B, allowing higher densities for developments that wound up with fewer units than originally proposed under 40B rules. Together they offer a combined total of about 70 condos, many selling in the $2M-$3M-plus range, though also including a handful of units deemed affordable. The hope by local housing advocates has been that at least some of these units are being gobbled up by Wellesley residents freeing up their single-family homes for newcomers.
Other projects were approved by Wellesley’s Zoning Board of Appeals as 40Bs despite neighborhood opposition organized through such efforts as an “Our Affordable Wellesley” campaign. These projects include a 24-unit condo complex dubbed the Albion at the dead-end of Stearns Road, a short pedestrian cut-through from the Sprague Elementary School, that originally was pitched as a 36-unit project. Sandwiching Stearns Road is a 20-unit apartment building with 5 affordable units at 680 Worcester St. (Rte. 9 east).
According to the town, “Both projects were appealed by the developer (in regards to certain conditions imposed by the ZBA) and went to the state’s Housing Appeals Court (HAC). The HAC ruled in favor of the developer and both projects have been issued building permits.”
The Albion will boast “luxury” 2-bedroom condos starting at $1M and has a website featuring construction updates and other info about the development. The 680 Worcester St., development isn’t expected to be completed until next year, though progress on it has been significant over the summer as anyone passing by can see and hear.
Further east in Wellesley, the 17 apartments—5 of them affordable—at 40B project Cedar Place (3 Burke Lane) have been built and occupied.
Now a 34-unit condo development with 7 affordable units on a Rte. 9 east access road nearby is making its way through the town approval process (Town Meeting approved RIO zoning for the project earlier this year).
The first 40B to gain approval from Wellesley’s pre-pandemic collection was the townhome complex dubbed Fieldstone Way on Rte. 135 near the Recycling & Disposal Facility. That project, which involved clear cutting a forest on 12 acres of land, added 44 units to the town’s housing stock, and 11 are deemed affordable. When that developer first eyed that property, the plan was to build a bunch of mansions. The eventual development was cited by a Planning Board member at a meeting earlier this year who said it has enabled local teachers to live in town.
The one proposed development from the town’s 40B page that hasn’t made real headway is at 136 Worcester St. This was envisioned as a four-plus story, 40-unit apartment building on Rte. 9. Planning Director Eric Arbeene says this proposal was denied site eligibility in 2018 and there is currently no application before the town for this site.
Developers can still propose 40B projects in Wellesley, but the benefits of relaxed zoning are no longer automatically there. “40B projects are still allowed and the town and a developer can work together on a project that is mutually beneficial,” Arbeene said.
Once 40B projects or one-time 40Bs are built, the town still has ways to keep an eye on them. Projections of minimal traffic impact are part-and-parcel of multi-family housing developments, though the town can include requirements for follow-up studies. For example, with the Terrazza on Linden Street, part of their Project of Significant Impact (PSI) Special Permit has a condition that requires the applicant to conduct traffic studies 6 months after the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy and then no later than one year after the issuance of that certificate. The study will look at vehicles entering and exiting the site during peak hours and an analysis at 5 nearby intersections, Arbeene said.
What the future holds for 40Bs in Wellesley remains to be seen. But the town is taking a comprehensive look at its housing inventory and needs through a strategic housing plan that you’ll be hearing more and more about through the rest of this year.
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