By Adam Swift
The city council unanimously approved a special permit for a five-story Park and Fly garage on Rear Squire Road off of Charger Street at its meeting on Monday.
Following the recommendation of the council’s zoning subcommittee, the council granted a special permit to construct the garage in the TED zoning district. Project attorney Gerry D’Ambrosio said the two existing buildings on the 2.6-acre property housing the automotive business and the contractor’s yard owned by the Caruso family would be torn down and those businesses would close.
There are 583 spaces planned for the garage, according to D’Ambrosio. In addition to creating less heavy traffic on Charger Road than the current businesses, the attorney said the new development would bring in more revenue for the city.
At a previous public hearing, D’Ambrosio said the project will generate about $270,000 per year in property taxes, along with an additional $120,000 per year in licensing fees for the parking spaces. Currently, the property brings in about $90,000 per year in property taxes to the city, he added.
Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley said she wanted to be sure that both existing businesses on the property will shut down once the construction of the garage is completed.
“You have a building on a lot that is not going to have any other use there, that is what the special permit is for, it is only for the park and fly,” said D’Ambrosio.
Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto, who chairs the zoning subcommittee, said he supported the project in part because it eliminates the more intrusive current uses from the property.
“I am in favor of this project for one main reason, I think it gives us the start of the redevelopment of Squire Road,” said Council President Marc Silvestri.
Silvestri noted that there are currently students from Harvard University who are studying Squire Road and coming up with some ideas for redevelopment. He said that the construction of the parking garage is a good fit for the street and would help move that redevelopment project forward.
