A neighbor of a proposed Wellesley Lower Falls residential and retail complex thinks one of its three buildings is going to look like a cruise ship in the backyards of nearby homes.
The proposed development, at 27 Washington St., is scheduled to go back before the Planning Board on Feb. 25 for public comment and a discussion on reports covering such issues as parking, traffic, and pedestrian safety.
At a Planning Board hearing last month, Marian Wrobel, speaking for more than a dozen neighbors of the 5-acre site, said they believe the proposed development is too tall, too close to the banks of the Charles River, and has the potential to cause traffic congestion, noise and light pollution, and overcrowding at the Schofield Elementary School.
Wrobel was particularly concerned about the so-called west building, the closest one to her property.
"It runs the width of three house lots, rises straight up, and it's four stories tall in a neighborhood of small, two-story homes," Wrobel said in a later interview. "It's going to look like a cruise ship docked in our backyards.
"I don't want to stop the project," said Wrobel. "I am enthusiastic about that site be ing developed. It's a waste and an eyesore as it is, and the project has some fantastic goals. . . . We just want to make sure it's a project that is harmonious and sensitive."
A spokesman for Newton-based National Development said the developer is listening to the concerns expressed by neighbors and is willing to strike some sort of a balance with them.
The project calls for one two-story retail and office building along Washington Street and two four-story apartment buildings, with a total of 150 units, situated behind the retail building and near the back of the lot, along the river.
Currently, the site sports an abandoned orange-and-white building, which once housed a Grossman's building materials store, and a large asphalt parking lot with overgrown weeds.
The town's traffic consultant was still working on its analysis of the project's potential effect on Washington Street, which is also Route 16, and Planning Board members hope the report will be available next week.
One main concern is that Washington Street, with a single traffic lane in each direction, is already often crowded.
Along with vehicles heading to or from Route 128, traffic is frequently slowed by parallel parkers for a Dunkin' Donuts shop across the street from the National Development site, and by patrons of two popular restaurants. A small retail building just east of the site is also undergoing improvements and is seen as likely to host a high-volume convenience store.
Jack O'Neil, National Development's managing partner, characterized the neighbors' comments as "thoughtful and not acrimonious," and said the company is eager to "balance the needs of a financially viable project with the concerns the neighbors have.
"We want to design a project that is compatible" with the town's guidelines, said O'Neil. "Our job is to try and mitigate any impact the best we can and still end up with project we can build."
The guidelines, said planning director Rick Brown, allow four-story buildings and, because the area is zoned for industrial use, a structure could be erected with no setback restriction. But neighbors said they would like to see the buildings moved farther from their properties, on the west end of the site, and from the riverbank.
Concerning the 150 apartments' potential to put additional stress on nearby Schofield Elementary, O'Neil said that 70 percent of the units will be one-bedroom and are unlikely to have a significant effect on the school's enrollment. The School Committee's chairman, Michael Young, said its estimates suggest the project could add 15 students.
National Development is before the Planning Board seeking two special permits. One, said Brown, is a "residential incentive overlay," which would enable the developer to build housing in the industrial zone. The second would satisfy the town's requirements that the development mitigate any effects it might have on the town's infrastructure and surrounding neighborhoods.
The Planning Board's Feb. 25 hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
