• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Where to eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Summer Camps
  • Election 2019
  • Kids
  • Events
  • Advertise
  • DONATE
  • About us
  • Subscribe!

Zoning out in Wellesley

January 1, 2019 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Wellesley freshened up its zoning map in December, and it’s a good idea to take a peek at it just so that you’re aware of the rules for you and your surrounding area. You don’t want to be surprised when that pool hall opens next door.

wellesley zoning map

Copies of this map, along with the zoning bylaws, are also available through the Town Clerk’s office. Educational, parks/recreation and large-scale solar districts have been fleshed out in the latest changes. You can also read rules applying to everything from antennas to neon signs to retaining walls.

Subscribe to get Swellesley’s daily email newsletter

The zoning map and bylaws can give you a sense for where possible growth could occur in town, and make for complementary reading alongside Wellesley’s Housing Production Plan.

One thing we noticed didn’t make it into the zoning map or bylaws: The No B.S. Zone over at the Weston Road Community Gardens.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by theswellesleyreport (@theswellesleyreport) on Jan 1, 2019 at 5:02am PST

MORE: And the first Wellesley 40B sweepstakes winner is…

Filed Under: Real estate

Wellesley businesses that came & went in 2018

December 22, 2018 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Wellesley saw its share of businesses coming and going in 2018, but the biggest change took place at the Belclare complex on Washington Street on the edge of Wellesley Square, where it was almost all about businesses coming.

The luxury condos at the Belclare filled up in a hurry back at the end of 2015, but the retail spaces remained mostly vacant, despite a few close calls.

Sure, Thirst Juice, located on the Grove Street side of the Belclare complex, did have its last kale in January. Later in the year, however, salon Atelier opened on that same block, and the real action took place on the Washington Street side. There, the Agnes Vision optical shop, Barber Walter’s, Laer Realty Partners, La Mia Moda boutique, CouCou kids’ clothing/fashions/housewares, Legit Activewear all opened for business. Pucker Gallery also made a cameo appearance.

belclare wellesley
The Belclare retail strip during a recent block party

 

On the food front, the big news was Bertucci’s closing suddenly in May, part of a corporate meltdown. While the space behind Playhouse Square remains vacant, White’s Bakery is expected to open soon in the former bank space at that corner of Wellesley Hills. The other big restaurant news was steakhouse Smith & Wollensky opening its first suburban location in Wellesley, in the former Blue Ginger space. Big shoes to fill, big wallets to empty.

Smith & Wollensky, Wellesley
Smith & Wollensky al fresco

 

Sweetgreen has been doing a steady business in Linden Square since it opened in early 2018, and nearby, The Cottage refurbished itself.  The Cottage owners are also prepping for Door No. 7, a fancier restaurant across the street, to open soon. Mark’s Pizza & Subs closed and that building was razed to pave the way for a refurbished Papa Razzi.

Mark’s is busy readying for its new location nearby at 10B Washington St.

marks
Mark’s Pizza & Subs gear ready to get back in action in Lower Falls

 

Fiorella’s, a fast casual Italian eatery, is aiming for a February opening at the former SuSu’s spot across from the Belclare.

Orangetheory might sound like food, but the fitness joint that opened in Wellesley Square is actually a solution to burn calories. New businesses like this are sure to keep Swellesleyites beautiful. And while id. Salon closed its doors in Wellesley Hills, Le Vernis Nail Studio opened in the old 2nd Time Around space in Wellesley Square.

On the fashion front, Fat Face opened in Church Square and Crane & Lion moved into the former Talbots spot in Wellesley Square.

Zoots earned recognition as the most classless closing of the year in Wellesley (2 locations) and beyond, leaving people in a lurch to start 2018, forcing some to drive to the back of beyond to pick up their belongings. Neither Zoots space in Wellesley has been filled yet.

Wellesley zoots
Zoots clothes-ed

 

Alfredo’s Hair Design, near the Lower Fall Zoots, also closed its doors after 30 years (and the word is that Mark’s Pizza & Subs could resurface there).

Alfredo's, Mark's Pizza

Some Wellesley businesses changed locations. Among them: Lyn Evans and Clementine (in the former Xylem space), both in Church Square. FLX Training, formerly near Clementine in that strip between Rte. 9 and Rte. 16, slid down to Linden Square. Page Waterman moved its framing and gallery business to an expanded space on Washington Street. Home Decor Group replaced C & T Paint on Linden Street.

Speaking of decor, Patti Bros., has left Wellesley Square to retrench at its Sudbury base. Miele shut down its Wellesley Square shop.

Other new faces in Linden Square include Verizon, Code Ninjas and Kenzie & Hope. The latter is a fresh twist on Kenzie Kids, which new owner Shani DeFina says re-opened in August after renovations, and is refocused on clothing, gifts and accessories for teens and young women. DeFina says she’ll aim to bring in brands that give back to the community.

kenzie & hope
Kenzie & Hope, Linden Square

 

One summer shocker involved Miss Michelle’s Center for the Performing Arts clearing out of Linden Square after 10 years following an unsuccessful lease renewal. A dog grooming business called Pampered Puppies is moving in. Linden Square also bid adieu to French Lessons, a tenant for 12 years.

miss michelle's wellesley 1

And finally, let’s not forget that Red Apple Convenience store peeled out as mysteriously as it operated.

MORE: Wellesley Business Buzz

Want to sponsor Wellesley Business Buzz? Let us know

Filed Under: Business, Fashion, Food, Real estate, Restaurants, Shopping

Here’s Wellesley’s Holiday House Decorating Contest winner

December 21, 2018 by bbrown Leave a Comment

The home at 281 Weston Rd. is this year’s Wellesley Recreation Department Holiday House Decorating contest. This was no self-serving winner either, as a couple of people who were not the homeowners nominated this house, according to Rec.

wellesley holiday house
A Weston Road attraction

 

That is real snow on ground, not a decoration. One of the nominators described the home as “Coastal Maine in the front and Florida Keys in the back yard.” The front has a traditional New England charm to it, but the backyard is a tropical Christmas oasis with a bunch of fun decorations, says Rec’s Brandon Fitts.

And of course, it’s worth checking out at night when it’s all lit up.

MORE: After years of snubs, Wellesley department gets long overdue Rec-ognition

Filed Under: Holidays, Real estate

To 40B or not to 40B in Wellesley: Big changes floated for Weston Road, Delanson Circle projects

December 20, 2018 by bbrown Leave a Comment

The developers of proposed 40B projects at 148 Weston Road (near the community gardens) and Delanson Circle (off Linden Street) aired non-40B alternatives that would greatly reduce the size of the buildings and number of units. The nearly 30 affordable units included in the original plans to gain the developers possible zoning breaks under the state’s 40B statute would largely go away under the revised scheme for condos to be offered at market rate (i.e., $$$) prices. This would allow developers to still make a profit while providing far fewer 1-, 2- or 3-bedroom units overall.

The plans, making their way through state and town approval processes since 2017, have been criticized by residents and town officials for being too dense for the existing neighborhoods. Concerns include worsening traffic,  pedestrian safety and more. Developers have sought to take advantage of Wellesley’s relatively small affordable housing stock under 40B rules in light of many surrounding communities already having safeguards against unfriendly developments in place, and the town has taken steps over the past year or so to gain more control, such as by creating a housing production plan.

Delanson Circle, WellesleyTown officials and neighbors of the proposed 148 Weston Road and Delanson Circle projects have applauded efforts by the developers to drastically revise their projects, though would still like to see smaller buildings and fewer or smaller units. The developers say they have begun receiving OKs from fire and other officials on their original plans, but still are open to revised projects. The Board of Selectmen set in motion on Monday the crafting of possible placeholders on the warrant (regarding amendments to zoning bylaws) to be discussed at this coming spring’s Town Meeting.

“I don’t believe we have the option of avoiding anything” happening at the locations, said Board of Selectmen Chair Jack Morgan. Getting placeholders in place on the warrant will put pressure on the town and developers to move things forward, he said.

Subscribe to get Swellesley’s daily email newsletter

For the Wellesley Crossing project on Delanson Circle, the developer’s proposed changes would include slashing the number of units from 90 to 42 and the number of parking spaces from 132 to 76. Setback space would double and the overall building volume would decrease by 25%. The developers have also snapped up a couple of properties on bordering Hollis Street, and they would used for affordable units as part of the complex. The average size of units under the condo plan would be closer to 1,700-1,800 sq. ft., about double the

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Real estate

New Wellesley 40B apartment plan in the works

December 19, 2018 by bbrown 1 Comment

Developers are pitching a new 40B project on 2 and 3 Burke Lane, which is located near Cedar Street and Rte. 9, behind the Wok restaurant.

The project leaders are seeking to gain site eligibility from the quasi-public MassHousing organization, a precursor to going for a comprehensive permit from the Wellesley Zoning Board of Appeals.

The developers will look to build a mixed-income apartment complex consisting of 16 units, 4 of them affordable as required under the 40B statute that can give developers leniency on zoning rules. Fifteen units will be newly created in a 2.5 story walk-up building sized at 17K-plus square feet. An existing 1880s single-family home will be preserved as a market rate three-bedroom apartment, and an existing  accessory unit will be converted to a management office. Amenities at the Cedar Place Apartments would include a fire pit and picnic area. The developers claim the property will be nicely obscured from abutters via existing trees.

The application for site eligibility was filed with MassHousing at the end of November. If all goes as expected for the developer, it will be meeting with the ZBA by May. That could be optimistic given how long some of the existing 40B plans have dragged out over the past couple of years in Wellesley, but then again, maybe we’ve got this process down.

Wellesley has attempted to gain more control over housing development through the creation of a housing production plan, which was approved recently by the state.

A 40B project on Great Plain Avenue recently secured the town’s blessing, and several other projects are weaving their way through the approval process, with the developers of the 148 Weston Road and Delanson Circle projects earlier this week laying out new non-40B options before the Board of Selectmen.

Burke Lane

Filed Under: Real estate

Next Page »

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]
Wellesley Theatre Project
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Abeles ad Swellesley
Kidville Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Get the Daily e-mail!

See a Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed

Most Read Posts

  • Wellesley mourns Mike Kamio: dad, husband, restaurant owner
  • Meet Wellesley candidate for Board of Selectmen, Jennifer Fallon
  • Wellesley Police Log: kids buy booze via social media connection; road rage; dog struck; hit-and-run
  • Meet Wellesley candidate for Board of Selectmen, Lise Olney
  • Wellesley elementary school parents: find out how to help your math student

Events Calendar

« February 2019 » loading...
S M T W T F S
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
Sun 17

Violin concert, Joshua Peckins

February 17 @ 3:00 pm
Wed 20

Keep Well Clinic

February 20 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thu 21

Artist Talk Series: Art_Latin_America: Against the Survey

February 21 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Sat 23

Tanglewood Marionettes Present Cinderella

February 23 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sat 23

Black History Month Tour

February 23 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Pages

  • Wellesley Summer Camps, 2019 (and beyond)
  • Wellesley Election 2019
  • Wellesley’s 2019 Boston Marathon fundraisers
  • Swellesley Report letters to the editor
  • How much it costs to live in Wellesley
  • Wellesley Business Buzz
  • Private pre-schools in Wellesley
  • Advertise on our Wellesley pre-school page
  • Professional Writing & Editing Services (Wellesley, MA)
  • Where to eat in Wellesley, Mass.
  • Wellesley College Notable Alumnae
  • Wellesley outdoor art gallery

Recent Comments

  • Anne Horn on Grand slam for Wellesley girl’s softball fields: $500K in funding okayed
  • Jill Creevy on Grand slam for Wellesley girl’s softball fields: $500K in funding okayed
  • Tendai Musikavanhu on Wellesley mourns Mike Kamio: dad, husband, restaurant owner
  • J Michelle Grignaffini on Wellesley HS wrestler Lucy Grignaffini takes Championship award in her class
  • Jesse on Wellesley mourns Mike Kamio: dad, husband, restaurant owner

Blogroll

  • …or else what happens?
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub

Categories

  • Animals (310)
  • Antiques (43)
  • Art (469)
  • Books (292)
  • Business (1,149)
  • Careers/jobs (16)
  • Churches (40)
  • Clubs (161)
  • Construction (236)
  • Dump (87)
  • Education (2,386)
    • Babson College (212)
    • Bates Elementary School (8)
    • Dana Hall School (14)
    • Fiske Elementary School (5)
    • Hardy Elementary School (12)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (13)
    • MassBay (28)
    • Schofield Elementary School (8)
    • Sprague Elementary School (16)
    • St. John School (1)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (3)
    • Upham Elementary School (10)
    • Wellesley College (557)
    • Wellesley High School (753)
    • Wellesley Middle School (167)
  • Entertainment (523)
  • Environment (516)
  • Fashion (112)
  • Finance (10)
  • Fire (104)
  • Food (267)
  • Fundraising (419)
  • Gardens (100)
  • Government (138)
  • Health (481)
  • History (287)
  • Holidays (274)
  • Houses (82)
  • Humor (36)
  • Kids (691)
  • Media (48)
  • METCO (2)
  • Morses Pond (78)
  • Music (465)
  • Natick Report (13)
  • Neighbors (201)
  • Obituaries (40)
  • Outdoors (457)
  • Parenting (42)
  • Police (521)
    • Crime (231)
  • Politics (448)
  • Real estate (228)
  • Religion (112)
  • Restaurants (258)
  • Safety (85)
  • Senior citizens (85)
  • Shopping (73)
  • Sports (772)
  • STEM (73)
  • Technology (109)
  • Theatre (346)
  • Transportation (151)
  • Travel (5)
  • Uncategorized (1,046)
  • Volunteering (211)
  • Weather (128)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (8)
  • Wellesley Free Library (206)

© 2019 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login