Planning Board Decision Flipped

The long-running saga of the proposed Taj Estates project at 230 East Central seemed to have reached the end of the road last Monday night. After months of testimony, plan revisions, and concessions by the developer, the planning board (which meets every other Monday, like clockwork) voted, mostly along the same implicit split that has been present since the project first came before the Board – three sympathetic veterans were the yes votes and the two newer members (one a previous Associate member) voting no.

That was traditionally enough to scupper the project, since approval required yes votes from four of the five members. And that was the result announced that evening by Town Planner Amy Love. The permit to build was denied.

Most abutters, who complained about the scale and traffic they expected from the project (which proposed to replace a single-family home with 30+ apartments), breathed a sigh of relief and went home.

Lo and behold, a “Special” Planning Board meeting, scheduled for Tuesday evening, the 16th, popped up on the town calendar in recent days. And the matter under discussion? 230 East Central Street.

We inquired of Love, didn’t that project get voted down?

“According to MGL Ch40A, Section 9, revised last July, it passed with a simple majority vote. The Board will review the decision and consider conditions,” she responded.

And that appears to be the whole story. No one noticed that the revised law applied, which meant a simple majority (e.g. 3 yes, 2 no votes). And why is that, we asked Town Administrator Jamie Hellen?

He confessed to being a bit confused himself but promised that Town Attorney, Mark Cerel, will explain the whole thing at the meeting.

Glancing at the verbose statute, we guess that what may be the case is that the insistence of the board that the developer include affordable housing in the project (which they did) , meant that fewer votes were needed for approval (part of the state’s push to encourage affordable housing). But that’s speculation.

To get the facts, “tune in” tomorrow night by clicking on the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87955259633 or calling on your phone at 312-626-6799, meeting # 87955259633. Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 7:00PM.

The public also has the option of attending in person in the Council Chambers.