HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230143 17 Park Subdivision Public Comment (7)17 Park Place – Planning Board Review
June 15, 2023
Below are some issues and comments we have regarding the proposed sub-division at 17 Park Place. Some of these items pertain to our own efforts at making the original sub-division which
created the lot in question. We disagree with allowing this sub-division as it will not allow for the proper scale of home for the immediate neighborhood, as intended and agreed with
the owners, and as previously reviewed and approved by the Planning Board.
Purchasers agreed to not sub-divide as a condition of the sale. We provided a generous lot for a home befitting the neighborhood with a separate carriage house. This would allow for
plenty of options to the new owners. The proposed sub-division of 2 lots with 4 structures, allowing for multiple families, their cars, and possible Airbnb rental businesses, was never
mentioned, intended, or agreed.
Request that the Planning Board requires built-in garages, allowing for fewer structures and better views of 21 Park Place, and less crowding on the lots. An unobstructed view of that
historic building from Park Place was always a primary factor in the Planning Board discussions previously and should still be.
21 Park Place currently has no garages for 3 living units. There will be 1 or 2 garages built on that remaining 19,000 sq ft lot in the future to consider. That could make for up to
7 structures in the same 3/4 acre area that currently has 1 large home. The PB and the neighbors were VERY CONCERNED about density and the views of 21 Park Place a few years ago and
refused our much nicer plan for only 2 new structures on the entire lot then. It doesn’t seem to make sense to allow 4 new structures on these 2 smaller lots now.
Why is the garage on the proposed corner lot set so far back? It appears very similar in design to the builder’s project on Regent Street, with a carriage house set back behind the
house. Is that the intention here as well or will this be a “single family home” as stated? Can two “single family homes” be agreed as a condition of the sub-division, as attested
by the applicants? Otherwise what is to stop the developers from creating 2 new homes with separate residential carriage houses for rentals?
The 2 oak trees close to the 21 Park Place building are only 30” in diameter, probably 80-90 years old, and are in excellent condition. Other trees that needed to be taken down on the
property were 4-6’ in diameter and 150-200 years old. The applicants are already removing the large tree at the corner so removing a second one would leave only 1 of 3 grand oaks on
their property.
It was always a primary consideration to maintain the existing hedge along Park Place and Regent Street as part of the historic nature of the site. Are they planning on eliminating
that hedge to allow more space for a second home site?
Thank you for your attention.
David Guarino, owner of 21 Park Place