Portland: warren ave: new proposal: 180 residential units

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Developer proposes 180 units off Warren Avenue

By Kate Bucklin (published: October 26, 2006)
PORTLAND ? A Rockland-based developer is proposing to build 180 units of multi-family housing on land off Warren Avenue.

Realty Resources Chartered submitted a preliminary proposal to the city Planning Department outlining plans to develop 49 acres of vacant land between Warren Avenue, the Maine Turnpike and Forest Avenue.

The land is surrounded by several side streets, including Lane Avenue, Iffley Street, Verrill Street and Belfort Street. Sarah Hopkins, the development review manager for the city, said the land was proposed several years ago as a spot for a big-box retail development. The proposal went through the Planning Board, but was never approved by the City Council.

At that time, neighbors expressed concern about developing the land, which includes a stream and wetlands. Hopkins said several neighbors have called her office since receiving notification last week that a new project was on the drawing boards.

A public meeting with the project?s architects, SYTDesign Consultants of Cumberland, is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 30, at 6:15 p.m. at the Riverton School cafeteria.

Although the materials submitted to the city from the developer are sparse, Hopkins said the conceptual plan calls for townhouses and apartment buildings. A drawing at the Planning office shows a community building, a maintenance building, a village green and a community pool.

Two commercial lots are proposed along Warren Avenue.

Because the 49 acres are split between a residential zone and a business zone, the developers would need a contract zone for the project.

The development company is not new to the Portland market. Realty Resources, run by Joseph Cloutier, teamed up with developer Ted West on development of the USM project on Marginal Way in Bayside. The project calls for 100 units of college student housing accompanied by a 72,000-square-foot office building and 430-space parking garage.

Cloutier in June was successful in securing $1.2 million in tax increment financing (TIF) from the city to build the USM housing.

Realty Resources is scheduled for a Dec. 12 workshop with the Planning Board.



Kate Bucklin can be reached 781-3661 ext. 106 or kbucklin@theforecaster.net.


If this goes through, along with waterview, the longfellow, and walker terrace, we should have around enough new residents to off-set the loss of population that will be caused by peaks island leaving the city by 2010. yay. we break even again. Went downtown today and keep getting amazed at how urban the peninsula is compared to the rest of the city. people of color. bums. tall buildings. fancy stores and restaurants. liscence plates from all over the country (get outta here vermont!) etc. I love it. always sop depressing to drive back home (deering area).

also checked out the top of the east bar last night. stunning night time views of the city from the 14th floor of the hotel. nice atmosphere. highly recommended. also, gritty's, city sole jewelers has moved up congress street incase youre wondering "wear" you can get the hottest in urban youth fashion nowadays. you know santa gon' bring you a new grill for x-mas.
 
Yeah, I saw that I can get iced out a little closer to home now. The top of the East is great, but the one view you can't get is the one looking directly over downtown and the old port. With the hill, it makes you feel like you are in a 30 story building.

And, who the hell would want to live on warren ave?
 
grittys457 said:
Yeah, I saw that I can get iced out a little closer to home now. The top of the East is great, but the one view you can't get is the one looking directly over downtown and the old port. With the hill, it makes you feel like you are in a 30 story building.

And, who the hell would want to live on warren ave?
Click to expand...


haha you know why they closed and had to move down the street, right? They were robbed blind. funny ass video about it on youtube.com

speaking about funny ass videos ojn youtube and warren avenue...check out this rap video produced by citysoul jewelers and filmed behind the wok-inn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ_lUtd3EwI&eurl=

also, the top of the east does provide a view over downtown. it the window all the way to the left right as you walk in. but true you cannot see the old port.

and, the development will be off of warren ave, not on the ave itself. so i am picturing 180 Mcmansions like they are springing up all over scarborough and parts of buxton.
 
Well, I guess if you live on Warren Ave you can walk to concert at THE DOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still want to know how they are going to park cars for 2000 people for the goo goo dolls concert? Park on Warren ave itself?
 
grittys457 said:
Well, I guess if you live on Warren Ave you can walk to concert at THE DOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still want to know how they are going to park cars for 2000 people for the goo goo dolls concert? Park on Warren ave itself?
Click to expand...
I would love to see the Goo Goo Dolls, but not in that dome/soccer field.
I see they have booked the Australian Pink Floyd Show there too. Somebody please tell them they are an athletic facility and not a concert arena!
 
Condos would plug into their own power

A Rockport development company wants to build a 180-unit condominium complex on Warren Avenue in Portland that would generate its own electricity and be affordable to working families.
Realty Resources Chartered is seeking a special zoning contract from the City Council because the 52-acre property straddles a commercial zone and a residential zone. The site is next to BJ's Wholesale Club, off Forest Avenue (Route 302) and near Exit 48 of the Maine Turnpike.
The estimated $30 million complex would feature several clusters of townhouse-style condominiums, a village green with a skating pond and a bandstand, and a community center with an outdoor swimming pool and a cogeneration plant, said Joseph Cloutier, company president.
The cogeneration plant is part of Cloutier's plan to develop an environmentally friendly housing project using recycled and energy-saving construction materials.
The cogeneration plant would be contained within the community center. It would consist of several small turbines that would run on natural gas and produce both electricity and heat for the condominiums.
Cloutier said the plant would be quiet and save homeowners 20 percent to 30 percent on their utility bills.
He believes the complex, to be called Warren Green, would be the first housing project in Maine to be designed around a cogeneration plant. The complex would be connected to the public electricity grid for coverage during plant maintenance shutdowns and emergencies.
He said the plant could be converted later to burn biofuels, which are derived from vegetables.
The complex also would have recreation paths connected to the Portland Trails system.
Realty Resources Chartered is the same company that is developing a 100-unit student apartment building on Marginal Way in the city's Bayside neighborhood.
The company purchased the Warren Avenue property a few months ago, Cloutier said. In the past, the site was considered for a mobile home park and a big-box store.
"Given some of the past possibilities, certainly this proposal would have less impact on surrounding residential neighborhoods," said Mayor James Cohen, a city councilor who represents the Riverton district.
Still, Cohen said he wants to make sure the developers limit the project's effect on traffic and maintain a significant wooded buffer between the condominium complex and its neighbors.
The project would be financed through Coastal Enterprises Inc. and Key Bank, Cloutier said. The condominiums would sell for about $200,000, with additional financing available through the Maine State Housing Authority, he said.
The project also requires state transportation and environmental review.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be reached at 791-6328 or
kbouchard@pressherald.com


Reader comments
1-9 of 9 comments:

Scott Bessey of Portland, ME
Oct 30, 2006 1:53 PM
Realty Resources should be applauded on thier vision, whether the housing project gets approved or not. Thier vision of Cogeneration is a step in the right direction for Maine developers. It's nice to know that they are "forward" thinkers. The low environmental impact and cost savings generated by cogeneration, along with not needing to depend on the volatile oil market, should give Realty Resources a really good chance in getting this approved. Should they meet all other city criteria of course. I wish them luck.

Wayne of Gray, ME
Oct 30, 2006 1:20 PM
Is this fellow related to the gentleman that wanted to build the hospital/hotel complex in South Portland with the cable car to the city?

Who in their right mind would build a residential facility on that end of Warren Ave.?
Better yet who would buy one of those condo's?


wayne

Thomas of Portland, ME
Oct 30, 2006 12:37 PM
Opposing trailers is hardly elitism. They're little better than human storage containers, and have no place in the city.

Anne-Marie of Portland, ME
Oct 30, 2006 11:21 AM
"Green" building is a concept whose time has come, and the developers should be applauded for their ideas. However, $200,000 is NOT affordable housing.

Sam of Portland, ME
Oct 30, 2006 10:32 AM
Years ago the "Williamsburg" project up by Maine Med tried "cogeneration" by having its own generators on premises. Disaster! They found that CMP's 60 cycle system makes electric clocks to run on time but that the generators had clocks, clock radios and even some appliances running crazy and burning out. Maybe technology is better today then when the Williamsburg folks tried this, but it will be interesting to see whether, after a huge investment, the folks living there will really like it.

Rich of Portland, me
Oct 30, 2006 9:37 AM
It's a good idea unless you have two young children and live on Lane Ave. Lane Ave is dangerous now without the development. Cars approach and often exceed 40 MPH in front of my house (It's a 25 MPH speed limit). Adding 200+ cars to the Lane Ave neighborhood will only make it more dangerous.

If this goes through, the City, and Mayor Cohen, will need to ensure that safety is the #1 priority. As much as I hate the thought of speed bumps on my street, they will have to be installed to discourage people from using Lane Ave as a thru-way between Forest Ave and Warren Ave.

It's nice for Realty Resources to say that there is a Skating pond. I'd like to see their plans for maintaining it. I've seen these types of plans before and it just ends up as a pond full of weeds.

Steven Scharf of Portland, ME
Oct 30, 2006 9:33 AM
It is already getting shot down. Note "Mayor" Cohen's comments. Not cheerleading for more housing, but worried about the impact on the neighbors.

Its alright to build more housing in town, but when we want to put in a project in other parts of Portland, the normally pro-housing councilors become neighborhood protectionists.

This was at onetime contemplated to be a trailer park which would have probably provided more housing units for people with low incomes to buy, but it got shot down by the elitist protectionists of Portland.

52 arces, that is about 3 units per acre. We buld mcmansions on less land than this.

Steven Scharf
SCSMedia@aol.com

Carrie of Portland, ME
Oct 30, 2006 8:46 AM
A great idea - hope it doesn't get shot down. Although the price could be better. $200K is still on the high side of "affordable" (think secretaries, clerical workers) for something that isn't a free-standing residence.

m of Portland, ME
Oct 30, 2006 8:12 AM
I think this is a great idea. Affordable housing, self sufficient, self contained. A new idea. Lets try it!


TO HAVE YOUR SAY
A NEIGHBORHOOD meeting on the Warren Avenue condo project is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. today at Riverton Community School, 1600 Forest Ave.

A Planning Board workshop is set tentatively for Dec. 12.


edit -- this 180, plus 250 for the VAOG, plus 100 for the westin, plus 94 for waterview, plus 90 units for graves hill (right?), plus 20 or so for kimball court, plus 18 for the white heart building, plus about what, 30 for chestnut street, thats over 800 condominium units proposed in portland in the last year. true, not all of these have been approved, and many have since scaled back with the dwindling market right now, but I just dont see how its possible that we are losing population, with an average of two people per house hold, this should be adding about 1,600 people to portland, rather than the projected loss of people in coming years. i dont understand why more are not approved faster because of the housing crunch, especially on the peninsula!
 
The workshop on the Village Cafe site is tonight. Not on tv. Wonder how that will go. Probably......back.....to......the ....planning board.

Just drove by Walker Terrace and more lights on the outside of the building are on. Really a great look.

They are starting to put brick on the front part of Oceangate. Couldn't avoid brick there either I guess.
 
grittys457 said:
The workshop on the Village Cafe site is tonight. Not on tv. Wonder how that will go. Probably......back.....to......the ....planning board.

Just drove by Walker Terrace and more lights on the outside of the building are on. Really a great look.

They are starting to put brick on the front part of Oceangate. Couldn't avoid brick there either I guess.
Click to expand...

Gritty's -- Is the workshop open to the public?

I just got back from attending the community meeting held on "Warren Green" (what the warren ave project is being labeled). It was terrible and embarrassing. The developer was there, the engineer was there, and the people who were putting up the money were also there. They were bombarded by negative comments, some people were even raising their voices. no one was in support of it, except me, and I kept quiet for fear of my own personal safety.

Some women said they were worried that the increased traffic there would swamp warren ave, a street which she said "already had mroe than it could handle," and a street which until tonight I thought was uninhabited.

Another man tried to tell the site engineer that there were wetlands where the drawings didn't show any. And the engineer said they did extensive studies, but the old man, who talked like a true mainah, swore on his name that they were there, and then he claimed to own the whole left side of warren ave.

another woman said that happy wheels' business would increase, with associated vandalism to the nearby cemetery and business signs.

another man said he knew that there was an access road through a residential area that was not shown on the site plan, and he accused the developers of lying and denying that they had plans to make a through-way through part of a nearby neighborhood.

another woman was concerned about whether or not these units would have basements (because of the marsh) and another woman was worried that the pond which has accumulated in her backyard since they made verril street would only increase in size, despite efforts by the engineer to assure her water flowed in the other direction (down hill).

Perhaps my favorite comment of all, worse than the wind tunnels feared from lincoln center, was one made by a middle aged blonde woman who said that she was seriously worried about an outbreak of west nile virus carried by the mosquitos that would surely increase in number from all of the marsh disruption during construction. and yes, she was serious. there were more, but I had to leave early from a lack of interest. poor developers. they're out of luck.
 
Warren Ave. condos raise neighborhood questions
By Peter Smith (published: November 02, 2006)
PORTLAND ? Neighbors had many questions Monday night for the developers of a proposed condominium project off Warren Avenue.

Architect Andrew Johnson of STYDesigns and Terry Turner, a developer with Realty Resources Chartered, who presented the project in a neighborhood meeting at Riverton Elementary School, said it was too early in the planning phase to address all the concerns.

A workshop with the Planning Board is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 12 and neighborhood meetings typically follow before a project is considered for approval.

The proposed project, known as Warren Green, includes 180 residential townhouse-style condos. The units are intended to be owner-occupied and would sell for about $200,000 apiece. Preliminary drawings included apartment buildings and single-family homes on the 48.6 acre site, along with an energy co-generation plant, a community center and a pool.

The property is zoned half commercial and half residential, which means the project must also go to the City Council for a special contract zone.

About 60 abutters showed up at Monday?s meeting with concerns ranging from increased traffic to wetlands. The developers said the neighborhood meetings were designed to create an inclusive process.

?As the process proceeds,? Johnson said, ?I think the neighbors will see that this is one of the better proposals for the property.?

Two past projects for the land, a retail store and a mobile home park, failed to get past the planning phase. Many speakers Monday expressed concern about the latest proposal, too.

Malinda Orrico, a Belfort Street resident, was concerned about density. ?Our neighborhood doesn?t look like that,? she said.

Others worried about the property?s position between existing commercial and residential development. Kathleen Vance, of Maplewood Dance Center on Warren Avenue, wondered if residents would complain about a neighboring garage?s paint fumes and her dance hall?s guard dog. ?We play music well after midnight,? she added.

?That?s one of the issues about building on a zone boundary,? Johnson said.

?How far are these units from the body shop?? asked Joe Brenner, who operates Property Masters, a nearby maintenance business.

?Fifty feet,? Turner said.

?Why didn?t you build them in the dooryard?? asked John Vance of Maplewood Dance Hall.

The possible impact on traffic riled some abutters.

?Have you looked at those streets?? Orrico asked. ?Have you taken a good look at those streets??

James Blanchard, a Belfort Street neighbor, said it looked like the plans included his street connecting with the development. Turner said the development planned a single entranceway onto Warren Avenue.

?Are you telling me that those plans never existed?? Blanchard asked.

Turner said the roads connecting with Verrill and Belfort were access roads for the Fire Department.

Others asked about an alternative if the city requires a second entrance, and said 300 added cars would make Warren Avenue traffic a nightmare. Brenner said close to 34 accidents had been reported in front of BJ?s Wholesale Club.

Turner emphasized that the traffic study had not been completed and the units were not designed.

Turner and Johnson were vague about the size of each unit but finally said they would most likely range from 1,100 to 1,300 square feet.

?People aren?t going to stay if they grow out,? said Carin Seadler of Dorothy Street.

Others said school children might cut through their property en route to Riverton.

?Is there any thought about how many children are going to be school age?? School Committee member John Coyne asked.

Turner estimated 0.6 children for each two-bedroom unit and 1 child for each 3-bedroom unit. ?There are always variations,? he said.

The developers acknowledged that a concern for the site?s wetlands stymied past projects. ?The presence of wetlands has really driven the development,? Johnson said.

Others worried that the public input, during the reviews with the Planning Board, the City Council and state Department of Environmental Protection would not be sufficient to address their concerns in a nine-month planning process.

?I don?t have a whole lot of faith in our planning process,? Orrico said. She said a previous design resulted in a lake in her backyard.

?People don?t trust,? Brenner said. ?That?s the biggest problem.?

Peter Smith can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 126 or psmith@theforecaster.net.
 
from the march 27th planning board meeting, meaning this proposal still in the works...



ii Warren Avenue Commons Conditional Rezoning; 421 Warren Ave.; JMC Warren Ave. LLC (4:15-5:30 PM- estimated time) This is a zone change proposal in the vicinity of 421 Warren Ave. from R-3 Residential and B-4 Business to a contract zone. The zone change is requested by JMC Warren Ave., LLC. The applicantis proposing the zone change to develop 180 housing units and 2 commercial lots on the site. The land area of the site is aapproximately 49 acres. The property has street frontage on Warren Ave., Farnham St., Iffley St., Newcomb St., and Saville St.
 
I didn't know there were 49 unused acres left on Warren Avenue. I'm all for developing the entire strip. Housing sounds great.
 
Warren Avenue housing project moves forward
By Kate Bucklin (published: March 29, 2007)
PORTLAND ? The Planning Board Tuesday advanced a request for a contract zone for a large residential development off Warren Avenue, despite concerns that important questions about the 48-acre project remained unanswered.

The board also OK?d additional height and capacity for an office building planned in Bayside.

Realty Resources Chartered of Rockport wants to build Warren Green, consisting of 170 condominium units and five single-family homes. A third of the units would be affordable and the project also includes some commercial development along Warren Avenue.

At a workshop meeting Tuesday afternoon, the Planning Board and City Planner Richard Knowland expressed concerns the developer had not provided information detailing architectural design, wetland impact and site layout related to how the development would fit into the existing nearby neighborhoods. The site is about 44 percent wetlands.

Planning staff acknowledged the applicant had the right to move forward to a public hearing and board recommendation on the project. Because the proposed site includes 18 acres that are in a zone prohibiting residential development, the project needs a contract zone. The developer also wants to be able to build at a higher density than allowed in the remaining acreage and has requested the entire 48 acres be given a contract zone to accommodate the project.

The Planning Board acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council concerning contract zones.

Realty Resources Chartered representative Terry Turner said the company was working with marketers to come up with a design for the townhouse-style condominiums that will be appealing to potential buyers. The developer is also hesitant to provide information to the board that would equal a full site plan review because the City Council could have a ?different analysis? on how the project should be designed, Turner said.

If a contract zone is approved, Warren Green would return to the Planning Board for site plan approval.

The workshop attracted about 35 neighbors of the proposed project ? all of whom objected to some part of the development.

Most were concerned about traffic a 180-unit development could bring to their residential streets. Although the developer wants limited fire lane connections to the nearby neighborhood ? which includes Farnham, Iffley, Verrill, Belfort and Sarsfield streets ? neighbors are concerned the connections may happen and surrounding streets would be adversely impacted.

?This project is huge,? Belfort Street resident Richard Bellafiore said. ?It seems like it?s going to be built on our backs.?

Others said they were against rezoning the Warren Avenue side of the property.

?The B-4 is not a place for residential development,? said Kathleen Vance. She said her home and accounting office are on Warren Avenue, along with the dance hall she is part owner of and a sizable amount of land her family owns.

Planning Board members decided to move the proposal on to a public hearing, tentatively scheduled for April 26.

?It?s the applicant?s option to go forward with a public hearing on this,? said board member Janice Tevanian. ?The site issues will have to be addressed down the line.?

Marginal Way project adjusted

The office building and parking garage planned for the corner of Marginal Way and Preble Street Extension won approval Tuesday night to go one story higher and add 47 parking spaces.

Capital LLC., headed by local developer Ted West, now plans to build a 10-story medical office building and parking garage that will serve as a ?gateway? building to the city.

The project as approved in January called for four stories of parking with five stories of office space above. Office space demand led the developer back to the Planning Board for permission to add another floor of offices, and a half story of parking.

Plans also call for retail space on the ground floor and open space along the side and in back of the building. Realty Resources Chartered plans to build a complex of apartments next door, targeted toward college students.

The board unanimously approved the amendment following some questions regarding parking requirements and building materials.

Planning Board member Kevin Beal thanked the development team for working well with city staff, and also commended the design of the building.

The developer has secured Intermed and Maine Surgical Associates as tenants. After the meeting, James Hanley, general counsel for Capital LLC, ignored a reporter?s questions about when construction might begin at the 84 Marginal Way site.

Rick Knowland, a planner for the city, said development could begin in April.

Kate Bucklin can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 106 or kbucklin@theforecaster.net.
 
PORTLAND: Planning Board rejects Warren Avenue condos
The Planning Board has rejected a Rockland company's proposal to build a 175-unit condominium complex on Warren Avenue.
The board voted 6-0 last week to recommend against a request from Realty Resources Chartered for a conditional rezoning of the 52-acre property near BJ's Wholesale Club. The City Council has the final say on such requests.
Realty Resources requested a conditional rezoning for Warren Green because the site straddles a commercial zone and a residential zone.
The board decided that the proposal doesn't conform to several aspects of the city's comprehensive plan.
 
Hmm I wonder what the city's plan is?
 
Order 23-07/08 Order Amending Portland City Code Re: Conditional
(Tab 14) Re-Zoning 421 Warren Avenue ? Sponsored by Joseph E. Gray, Jr., City Manager.

The applicant, JMC Warren Avenue, L.L.C. (Realty Resources Chartered), has requested a conditional rezoning to develop 175 dwelling units in the vicinity of 421 Warren Avenue on a 48-acre parcel formerly owned by Al Waxler. All but five of the dwellings are attached units. The site presently has split zoning with a B-4 business zone near Warren Avenue and a R-3 residential zone towards the Riverton School side of the property.

The B-4 is the only business zone that does not permit residential uses. About 40% of the site is a wetland. The applicant intends to develop affordable housing on the site.

At a public hearing the Planning Board voted 6-0 not to recommend approval of the proposed zone change. The Board believes the proposed conditional zone is flawed for a number of reasons.

The Planning Board believes the applicant has not made their case for the zone change. There are also a number of outstanding issues associated with this project including the basic language of the conditional zoning text.

The Board feels the applicant failed to demonstrate that the proposed development program will work on the site.

The Board believes neither the proposal nor the subject land is unique or compelling. Housing in this case should not be developed at the expense of business-zoned land.

The Planning Staff agrees with the Board?s analysis and recommendation against the zone change.

This item must be read on two separate days. It was given a first reading on July 16th. Five affirmative votes are required for passage after public comment.
 
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