Winchester Infill and Small Developments

Happy Spring, everyone!

On April 29, Winchester Town Meeting members voted to approve the Planning Board's proposed compliance to the MBTA Communities Act. The now approved overlay zones for 1,220 residential units, roughly 3/4 of which are located within a half mile of the Winchester Center Station commuter rail stop. More information can be found on the Planning Department's website.
 
Thanks for the update and for finding an agreeable path to compliance. Winchester is so fortunate to have two commuter rail stations providing fast, frequent service into and out of Boston. It's great that the zoning overlay makes it possible for more people to have access to such convenience.

Out of curiosity, what is the voting body and what was the final vote count/breakdown?
 
Justbuildit said:
Thanks for the update and for finding an agreeable path to compliance. Winchester is so fortunate to have two commuter rail stations providing fast, frequent service into and out of Boston. It's great that the zoning overlay makes it possible for more people to have access to such convenience.

Out of curiosity, what is the voting body and what was the final vote count/breakdown?
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Winchester has a representative Town Meeting of 192 members. The final vote for Article 4 (MBTA Communities Act) was 129-31.
 
Justbuildit said:
Thanks for the update and for finding an agreeable path to compliance. Winchester is so fortunate to have two commuter rail stations providing fast, frequent service into and out of Boston. It's great that the zoning overlay makes it possible for more people to have access to such convenience.

Out of curiosity, what is the voting body and what was the final vote count/breakdown?
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It’s virtually one station with a small gap between them
 
Thank you for your helpful contribution. Just for the sake of extra pedantry, "virtually one station" does, indeed, equal two stations. Great content!
 
Justbuildit said:
Thank you for your helpful contribution. Just for the sake of extra pedantry, "virtually one station" does, indeed, equal two stations. Great content!
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have you ever seen wedgemere station and winchester station? I doubt if the trains ever get up to speed between the stations
 
Sanctuary at winchester north now leasing.

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Link


https://sanctuarywinchesternorth.com/
 
Slight revision for 10 Converse Place

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winchesternews.org

New proposal submitted for 10 Converse Place

Urban Spaces submitted a new proposal for a smaller building at 10 Converse Place during a Public Hearing at the Planning Board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 2. “We worked to understand the town’s requests,” Urban Spaces developer Paul Ognibene told the members. “The message we got was to live within
winchesternews.org winchesternews.org
 

New design plan for Winchester’s old Midas Muffler shop (972 Main St)​

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"Treetop Development has tweaked plans for a 13-unit condo development at the corner of 972 Main St. and Glenwood Avenue.

An abandoned muffler ship is currently on the site, which is being used for parking and storage by a landscaper.

Changes to the site include relocating a handicapped parking space onto Main Street from the rear parking lot, as well as eliminating stairs and a steep ramp from the sidewalk to the new building’s front doors in favor of a more gradually sloped ramp and entrance closer to the sidewalk.

Other changes include a common entrance platform for residential and commercial entrances. A large window facing Glenwood Avenue is also planned to complement the one on Main Street in order to increase the visibility of businesses to anyone walking or driving up Main Street from downtown."

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winchesternews.org

Winchester Main Street condo development continues to fine tune project plans

Treetop Development has tweaked plans for a 13-unit condo development at the corner of 972 Main St. and Glenwood Avenue. An abandoned muffler ship is currently on the site, which is being used for parking and storage by a landscaper. Changes to the site include relocating a handicapped parking...
winchesternews.org winchesternews.org
 
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3decker said:
Special permit approved for 10 Converse Place (renamed 33 Mount Vernon St). This permit is for a revised proposal, with only 5 stories and 37 units compared to the prior 6-story 38-unit version.

https://winchesternews.org/20260306...al-permit-for-converse-mt-vernon-development/

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These planning board people are unbelievable.

Quoted from the article:
“No one is thrilled with the options,” Layton said. “We’re faced with a decision that would change the character downtown or put affordable housing requirements at risk and we’re stuck.”

Ah yes, it would be a travesty to have this development upset the character of Winchester Center. Nothing says character like a dumpy, pale office building from 1912 with the multiple, haphazardly placed antennas decorating its crown alongside a parking lot surrounded by vacant grass. I have no idea how Winchester will recover after losing some of its cherished identity once it’s torn down and replaced by this monstrosity. I’m in shock.

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As a Winchester resident, I can say that I don’t know a lot of people that cared if the 6th floor was cut, but there sure are a lot of front yard signs in town supporting the cut.

This is still a big win for the town.
 
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Ha, right?

Most of us normal people in town are actually way more agitated by the fact that we haven’t had a 500 footer rise up in the last couple years.
 
It really is insanity to have signs on your front yard about cutting 1 floor off a building replacing a (1970’s?) mid rise. None of their lives will be changed in any way whatsoever by the cut, yet it was sooo important. This has to be some type of mental illness.
 
You might not be realizing that the current building takes up 1/10 of the parcel while the new one takes up 3/4 of the parcel AND is adding a floor.

While the 6th floor really wouldn’t have been a big deal, this is a very big addition for a bedroom community.
 
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