City planners will lead RUPCO project review
The city Planning Board has declared itself lead agency in the environmental review of RUPCO’s proposal to convert the former Alms House into apartments for senior citizens and the homeless.
The move was made during a meeting Monday. Officials said a 30-day period for comments by other interested agencies had expired.
“This is just for the Planning Board to be lead agency for the (state environmental quality) review process,” city Planning Director Suzanne Cahill said.
The designation was made in advance of discussing the project’s environmental assessment form.
RUPCO is seeking approval from the city Planning Board for renovations that would allow 34 apartments in the existing structure and to build a separate four-story, 40,000-squarefoot building that would contain 32 apartments.
Among changes requested in the environmental assessment form was the projected level of environmental impact from construction activity.
“In the draft provided by the applicant it was marked ... small (impact),” Cahill said. “I believe it should be marked ‘moderate’ to ‘large’ impact and should be addressed.”
Developers were also asked to get a statement verifying that the city wastewater treatment facility can handle the amount of sewage estimated from the project.
“The other impacts in that category ... construction of infrastructure (and) resurfacing the project site, that was marked ‘no’ to ‘small,’” Cahill said. “I think that’s ‘moderate’ to ‘large’ and ... sewer lines, I think you want to up that to ‘moderate’ to ‘large’ to address the measures that are being taken.”
Opponents of the project asked planners to evaluate concerns over several issues on the environmental impact statement. Alderwoman Maryann Mills, DWard 7, told planners that she has yet to hear from any constituents who support the project.
“Everyone who has reached out to me is opposed,” she said.
“(The assessment form) states that (there will be) a reduction in traffic flow in and out of this place as opposed to prior use,” Mills added. “Well, the traffic flow has been stagnant there for so long, so, in theory, there’s going to be an increase in traffic (compared) to what is there today, not what it was in the years when there were offices in that building.”
Resident Matt Colangelo was concerned that the project would be granted a payment-in-lieu-of taxes (PILOT) agreement that would shift the tax burden to other property owners.
“We could issue PILOT after PILOT to housing developments,” he said. “That doesn’t generate economic activity . ... It’s illogical. It doesn’t make any sense.”