Selectmen broach the height issue

Two taller buildings may be safer than three shorter ones at Kowloon Restaurant site, according to a fire chief

  Two selectmen have expressed support for the Wong family’s request for a Special Permit (S-2) that would allow the construction of two six-story buildings on the Route 1 North property where their popular Kowloon Restaurant is currently located. The board’s chair, Anthony Cogliano, and Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini said during a continued public hearing on Tuesday (Jan. 25) night that they believe a proposed mixed-use project involving two buildings reaching a height of 67 feet and 8 inches is more desirable and safer than having three four-story buildings built on the same property.

  But Selectman Michael Serino and the board’s Vice-Chair, Debra Panetta, said they have some concerns about granting a variance that would allow the proposed buildings to exceed the four stories and 55 feet in height that town zoning currently allows within the Route One Business Highway Sustainable Development Zoning District (BHSD).

  It requires a four-fifths vote for the board to issue an S-2 permit.

  “I’m worried about the precedent that is going to be set up and down Route 1,” Serino told his colleagues at Tuesday night’s meeting.

  “When we’re talking about this height variance, it should be a last resort and not a first option,” he said.

  But Cicolini didn’t agree with Serino’s position. To support his case, he read a letter from Saugus Fire Chief Michael Newbury, who said that the two taller buildings – made of steel and concrete – are a better and safer option than the shorter four-story buildings made of wood. “I’m less concerned about setting a precedent and more concerned about public safety,” Cicolini said.

  Cogliano – who, along with Cicolini, had attended a recent informational meeting held by the developer at Kowloon Restaurant to get feedback from neighbors who live near the project – said he thinks the three-building option “would encroach the neighborhood more than the two buildings.”

  “My honest impression – it’s less of an impact on the neighborhood than the three buildings,” Cogliano said.

  Vice-Chair Panetta said she felt uncomfortable reviewing the S-2 Permit request without having the same information as Cogliano and Cicolini. “This is a super important vote for this board, and I want to make sure I have all of the information to make the right decision,” Panetta said, suggesting that a site visit to the property might be helpful.

  Other board members agreed and voted to continue the hearing to 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 5 for a site visit to the Kowloon property. Neighbors are welcome to attend the site visit in which the project’s developer will meet with selectmen to answer questions about the project.

  Cogliano and Cicolini both said they were impressed with what they observed when the Kowloon family and its project representatives held a meeting which allowed neighbors to share their concerns.

  Attorney Richard M. Magnan said a number of changes have been made on the project based on the feedback from the neighbors. Several of the neighbors have written emails supporting the project.

  “We’re really trying to be respectful of the neighborhood,” said Michael McKeown, architect of the Manchester, N.H., firm, Dennis Mires, P.A., The Architects.

  “The Wong family along with their partners are envisioning an elegant, desirable destination for Saugus that will stand the test of time in its design, aesthetic and construction, paying homage and respect to the history of this site,” McKeown said.

  The first floor of both buildings would include commercial tenant space. Floors one through six would have one-bedroom luxury apartments, according to the architect. The proposed project includes 220 apartment units in the two buildings, he said, noting that one building would have 130 units and the smaller building would have 90 units.