By Journal Staff
The Revere Conservation Commission (ConsComm) held its regular monthly meeting last Wednesday evening, November 5, in the City Council Chambers. Chair Nicholas Rudolph, Vice-Chair Brian Averback, Joseph LaValle, Bernardo Sepulveda, Wilson Correa, and Thomas Carleton were on hand for the session.
The meeting began with the election of a new chair and vice-
chair and both Rudolph and Averback were re-elected to those posts.
The first matter for the evening was an Abbreviated Notice of Intent (NOI) for an addition onto an existing single-family home at 43 Shawmut Street. Shawmut St. is a small side street off No. Shore Rd., across from the Wonderland T station and adjacent to the former Wonderland dog track.
A representative from a contracting firm presented the application on behalf of Christopher Tannas, the property owner.
He said the property is within the 100-year floodplain at elevation 12. He said Tannas is seeking to construct an addition to the existing home, noting that the floor joists must be three feet above the flood elevation for a total of 16 feet from the ground level. The new addition will rest on piers.
“This is very straightforward and nothing will be modified in terms of changes to the land, other than for the digging of the piers,” said Rudolph.
There were no opponents and the commission unanimously approved issuing an Order of Conditions pursuant to the abbreviated NOI.
Next up was a request for approval of an NOI from Nelly Orreqo of 76 Endicott Ave.
Orrego’s daughter, Diana Quintero, who also is an owner of the property, presented the application together with their contractor. Quintero told the commissioners they are seeking to enlarge the existing asphalt driveway, install new pavers, and install a 4′-deep x 4′-wide gravel French drain around the perimeter of the property.
The commissioners expressed their opposition to adding new impervious surface area — the new asphalt driveway extension. — to the property. In addition, Rudolph noted that the fill (for example, chunks of asphalt) that has been used is not appropriate and must be removed before clean fill can be put in its place.
LaValle observed that the neighboring home has a basement window at ground level which he said could result in flooding into the neighbor’s home, with Rudolph noting that the grade on the property appears to have been raised, further jeopardizing the neighboring home from runoff.
A neighbor at 59 George Ave., echoed that sentiment, expressing reservations about the possibility of a newly-raised elevation causing flooding on her property, which is located behind the subject property.
“We have to be sure that your property is returned to the original grade,” Rudolph told Quintero. The commissioners said they will conduct a further site visit before taking action on the application.
The commission next took up a request for a modification of the Order of Conditions for the project at 101 Lee Burbank Highway and 96-186A Lee Burbank Highway, the former Global Oil storage-tank site, where the new owner (Revere MA Owner LLC C/O Link Logistics) has demolished the existing structures and is seeking to construct high-tech warehouse facilities.
Scott Morrsion and Dan Keches from the engineering firm VHB explained that the modifications being sought from the original Order of Conditions pertain to minor changes to the stormwater drainage system that is being installed by the new owners. Essentially, said Keches, there will be a reduction in the size of the stormwater retention system, but there will be a larger pump to remove the stormwater faster.
“This is not a significant change and an amendment, rather than a new NOI, is appropriate,” said Rudolph, and the commissioners unanimously approved the request.
The final matter of the evening was the twice-continued NOI hearing for the demolition of existing buildings and the construction of a 5-story self-storage facility at 195 American Legion Highway by Vin Conte, the owner of the property, which presently is the site of a gas station, a garage, and Millennium Auto Parts. The site is located inside the FEMA coastal floodplain at an elevation of 11 and is adjacent to the Amazon facility (which in the 1980s had been the Towle Silver plant).
The site is not suitable for housing, recreational areas, or a playground because of the presence of heavy metals, the pesticide chlordane, and semi-volatile organic compounds in the ground.
The proposed building will have a footprint of 24,295 sq. ft. There will be 13 parking/loading spaces. The development will decrease the impervious area currently on the site by 26 percent, while increasing the green space with plantings and shrubs.
The project will incorporate hydrodynamic separators that will greatly improve the water quality that eventually will flow into the adjacent wetlands. The proposed structure will be a sleek, modern building that will mimic some of the architectural features of the Rumney Marsh Academy school across the highway.
Matthew Costa from the engineering firm Beals + Associates, who appeared at the previous two hearings, said that Conte, the owner of the property, is actively marketing the property to attract a buyer who will then construct the storage facility.
“This will be a definite improvement to the site,” said Rudolph, and the commission unanimously approved the NOI.
