Planning Board

City of Lowell - Planning Board Planning Board Meeting Minutes Monday, August 18, 2025 6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall City of Lowell, 375 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA Remote Participation Optional via Zoom Note: These minutes are not completed verbatim. For a recording of the meeting, visit www.ltc.org Members Present Chairman Linnehan Vice Chair Frechette Member Cheng Member Walker Associate Member Sar Members Absent Member Tenczar Associate Member Cardoso Silva Others Present Peter Cutrumbes, Assistant Planner A quorum of the Board was present. Chairman Linnehan called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM I. Minutes for Approval 7/21/2025 Meeting Minutes I. G. Frechette motioned to approve. Seconded by C. Cheng. The vote was unanimous (5-0). II. Continued Business Special Permit & Site Plan Review – 558 Gorham Street, 01852 The Lowell Planning Board will hold a public hearing to hear all interested persons relative to an application by LML Investments, LLC to construct two townhouses totaling 6 residential units at 558 Gorham Street. The subject property is located in the Urban Mixed-Use (UMU) zoning district. The proposal requires Site Plan Review approval per Section 11.4 for a development with more than three units, and Special Permit approval per Section 11.3 for four to six dwelling units on a single lot. On Behalf: Kasey Ferreira from Howard Stein Hudson, the applicant’s engineering firm. The project was originally in front of the Board in May for a plan with six units. Comments from the Board and City staff indicated less units would be preferable on the site. They have submitted revised plans. Reduced from 6 units to 4 units. There will be a single-family and a triplex building. The proposed single-family home matches other single-family homes on Gorham Street. They have designed the triplex to also look like a single- family home from the street. Oriented the buildings so that the garages for each unit could be accessed easily to account for parking. The reduction of units led to increased snow storage. MassDOT is planning upgrades to Gorham Street, and they have spoken with them. The project removes the existing granite and resets it with a full six-inch reveal. Spoke with LRWWU to sort out utility needs. Speaking in Favor: None Speaking in Opposition: None Discussion: G. Frechette thanked the applicant for redesigning the plans to reduce the number of units. Appreciates the facade of the triplex and the single-family home matching the neighborhood. Believes this addresses many of the Board’s concerns. Asked how trash pickup will be done. K. Ferreira said it will be done privately by the HOA. G. Frechette said the parking plan is improved and there is adequate snow storage now. C. Cheng echoed the support for accommodating the Board’s comments on the original plan. L. Walker expressed support. Very happy with the new site plan. The new units will be beneficial to the neighborhood. Asked about the lawn area to the rear of the townhouses. K. Ferriera said it will be grass. L. Walker asked about the fire hydrant on the original plan. K. Ferreira said that LFD decided they do not want a fire hydrant on site. L. Walker asked about fencing. K. Ferreira said they will leave existing fencing, but that screening will be done by landscaping. T. Sar was supportive. T. Linnehan did not have any concerns. Motion: G. Frechette motioned to issue the Special Permit with the following conditions: 1. Before a building permit is issued, the applicant shall receive final approval from the LRWWU 2. The HOA will use private trash pickup L. Walker seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous (5-0). G. Frechette motioned to approve the Site Plan Review with the same conditions as above. T. Linnehan seconded. The vote was unanimous (5-0). II. New Business Special Permit and Site Plan Review – 125 Perry Street, 01852 The Lowell Planning Board will hold a public hearing to hear all interested persons relative to an application by Perry 125, LLC seeking to amend prior approvals to construct 8 additional residential units, totaling 32 units at 125 Perry Street. The applicant also seeks to construct a parking area on the adjacent lot with (27) parking spaces. The subject property is located in the Traditional Mixed-Use (TMU) zoning district. The proposal requires an amended Special Permit from the Planning Board per Section 11.3 and Article 12.1 for the proposed use, and a Special Permit per Article 12.6 (g) for the parking area. The proposal also requires revised Site Plan Review approval from the Planning Board per Section 11.4 for a property with greater than 3 residential units, and a parking area with greater than 14 parking spaces. On Behalf: Attorney John Geary, the applicant’s representative. Mark O’Hara, the applicant’s engineer. Angie Burge, the applicant’s landscape architect. James Zorbas, applicant. J. Geary summarized the request. The applicant wants to revise the Site Plan Review and Special Permit from the original permit in 2023. They also need a new Special Permit for the parking area. The property owners were able to enter into a long-term lease with the abutters for more parking. The original proposal had a flat roof line. However, when the time for building permits came, the architect noted that a pitched roof would allow for the additional 8 units. The new plans allow for significantly more parking. There are 68 spaces where only 64 are required. The building will increase from 3 to 4 floors. They have also submitted a revised landscaping plan that adds landscaping to the leased parking area, as well as softening the facade. The project has received approval from the ZBA. There are 25 parking spaces in the garage. The City’s transportation engineer asked about bike racks in the garage. The plan allows for easy access to bring bikes into the unit. The applicant intends to allow residents to request a bike rack at their assigned parking space. The project is inline with the Lowell Forward comprehensive plan. M. O’Hara discussed the Site Plan. They have increased the amount of parking via leased land from the abutter. The number of spaces in the garage increased because the architect was able to reconfigure the columns to go from angled parking to straight spaces, and allowing more total spaces. There will be a detention basin for overflow. There were concerns about stormwater from the dumpster pad. It will be enclosed with concrete curbing. Engineering asked for a grease trap—this is provided. There is a sewer line that runs down the property they will be tying into. Angie Burge, the landscape architect. Plan increases the amount of green space, restores shade trees, and softens the facade. New landscaping at the front of the building helps hide the concrete at the base of the building. There will also be additional landscaping in the parking areas. Sixteen trees total of more than 2.5-inch caliper being planted. Also proposing a fence in front of the retaining wall at the rear of the property. Speaking in Favor: None Speaking in Opposition: None Discussion: T. Linnehan reviewed the minutes from the meeting where the original approval was granted. Summarized that meeting. Was favorable at that time. G. Frechette expressed support for the landscaping plan. Appreciates that the elevations match the landscaping plan. It achieves the goal of softening the facade. Not worried about requiring bike racks. Likes the solution of allowing residents to request individually. The pitched roofs also help soften the facade. Asked about trash and how it is encased in a concrete berm. M. O’Hara said it will be screened with a fence, but that the concrete pad will only have a berm on three sides, leaving the front for pickup. C. Cheng asked about the stormwater overflow connection to the basin. Is the use of the adjacent basin addressed in the agreement with the landowner? J. Geary said it is included with the lease agreement. C. Cheng asked about the width of the access into the parking garage, as well as the directional signage in the parking garage. Does the new layout of the garage meet requirements? M. O’Hara said there is adequate access and the directional signage for traffic flow in the garage was carried over from the original approval. Also worked with LFD to ensure everything met their requirements. C. Cheng asked what the ingress and egress signs are for. J. Geary said for the circulation of vehicles through the site. C. Cheng asked if there will be any additions to the front face of the building, such as street numbers. It is not clear where the front of the building or the entrance is. J. Geary said the elevation is almost exactly what will be built. C. Cheng asked if there will be light on the front facade. A. Burge said there should be a lighting layer in the final architectural plans. C. Cheng asked about a mail or package room. J. Zorbas said there will be a package/mail room on the parking garage side. L. Walker was supportive. T. Sar expressed concern about traffic. It is dangerous at the Perry Street and Andover Street intersections. This would increase traffic. J. Geary said the City’s Transportation Engineer didn’t express concern. G. Frechette noted that it is a 50-year lease with a right to extend for two 25 year terms. Asked if there was a lighting plan submitted. J. Geary said there was not. G. Frechette would condition submitting this for approval. Asked where the main entrance is. J. Zorbas said on the Perry Street side. C. Cheng mentioned wayfinding to clearly label the entrance would be helpful. T. Linnehan felt most things were addressed by staff, the applicant, and Board members. Motion: G. Frechette motioned to approve the amended Special Permits under 11.3 and 12.1 with the following conditions: 1. Before a building permit is issued, the applicant shall receive final approval from the LRWWU 2. Bike racks will be made available to individual residents as requested 3. Before a building permit is issued, the applicant shall submit lighting plans to DPD 4. Before a building permit is issued, the applicant shall work with DPD on finalizing elevations that accentuate the entrance on Perry Street. T. Linnehan seconded. The vote was unanimous (5-0). C. Cheng motioned to issue the new Special Permit under Article 12.6(g) with the same conditions as above. T. Sar seconded. The vote was unanimous (5-0). T. Linnehan motioned to approve the amended site plan with the same conditions as above. L. Walker seconded. The vote was unanimous, (5-0). Special Permit – 353 Wilder Street, 01851 The Lowell Planning Board Appeals will hold a public hearing to hear all interested persons relative to an application by Conamo Holdings, LLC to convert the existing two-family home at 353 Wilder Street to a three-family home. The subject property is located in the Traditional Multi-Family (TMF) zoning district. The proposal requires Special Permit approval from the Planning Board per Article 12.1 for the use. On Behalf: Speaking in Favor: Speaking in Opposition: Discussion: T. Linnehan took this item out of order, as the applicant is requesting a continuance. Noted that there was no sign posted announcing the Planning Board hearing, leading to the applicant’s request. T. Linnehan asked to have them put the new 9/4 meeting date on the sign. Motion: T. Linnehan motioned to continue to the 9/4 meeting. C. Cheng seconded. The vote was unanimous III. Other Business IV. Further Comments from Planning Board Members G. Frechette discussed the recent groundbreaking for the Rourke Bridge. Served on the advisory committee and this kicks off the construction of a tremendous asset for the City. V. Adjournment T. Sar motioned to adjourn. L. Walker seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 PM