We’ve organized Q&A into topics on the next tab, but for a quick overview, here are the five questions we hear most often:
#1 Why can’t we just have Arts Wayland here? Why do we need Retail Self Storage with it?
The one thing that almost everyone appears to agree on is that Arts Wayland would be a great use at this location. But some people have asked why Retail Self Storage needs to be part of the equation at all.
First, the land is already under agreement, so the 193 Commonwealth site is not available to Arts Wayland alone.
Second, Arts Wayland does not have the $2 million to pay for the land and another $3-4+ million to build a facility. Retail Self Storage as a new zoning use has the financial strength to be able to include – for free – a community space that can be used for Arts Wayland. If Arts Wayland is granted the space, this would allow them to focus on great arts and music programming, instead of years and years of fundraising, or having to rely on the Town to fund its facility, as many other Towns do.
#2 What is this about Arts Wayland not being guaranteed the space…?
Simple answer: This article is the zoning piece of the puzzle, and Arts Wayland can’t be written into our zoning code. So this zoning just says that any Retail Self Storage use must set aside free community space for the Town, which the Town can then lease or grant to a local arts or recreation non-profit.
Given it’s a Town-owned space, under state law, the Town may have to put it out to public RFP. Arts Wayland is completely fine with complying with any RFP process, since they’ve proven they’re uniquely qualified to support, insure and manage a space like this (their prior free Town Center space was 4,500 sf), and they have decades of experience as a non-profit creating arts programming and concerts for Wayland and the surrounding area. So they like their odds, and are rallying so the space can be created.
What if another group is even better than Arts Wayland? What a great choice to have! But as a minimum, we know that Arts Wayland is willing and able to take on the space – and they’d absolutely love to – so if there is a better user, then it only makes the space even better for the community, a win win. This is why Arts Wayland is willing to invest their time to help create the zoning to create the space – the work begins here to create the zoning, and the next logical step would be the project and designation.
#3 How big will any building here be, really? How will the zoning make it look smaller and/or similar to nearby buildings?
The new zoning is no taller than existing zoning: 35′. In addition, any Retail Self Storage third floor is required to be designed behind a sloped roof, so the building appears like a 2-2.5 story building with a peaked roof, just like most adjacent commercial buildings and nearby residential homes.
The building can be no longer than the length of the front of the Donelan’s/retail/office building next door (175’). This is shorter than the Walgreens-to-Bank-of-America building (210’). It is within range of other neighborhood properties like the Starbucks plaza (142’), Royal Nursing Home (151’). So it fits within the scale of the area. (This zoning also mandates that the facade must be articulated, i.e. with changes in detailing, not less than every 75′, so that the building appearance has good texture to it.)
So the scale you see from the street will be similar to what you see in the village. The building will just have more square feet inside because it’s a square shape, and because within the 35′, Self Storage can fit three floors. If the Donelan’s/office building – a large rectangle footprint that no one has complained about – had three full floors, it would be 60,000-70,000 sf! But the supermarket portion is only one floor since it has 18-20′ ceilings which are typical to a supermarket, so overall it is significantly less square footage, in a similar footprint.
So don’t let the total square footage scare you – instead just cheer it on when it comes to tax revenues – what’s most important, from a pedestrian perspective, it will look similar to the neighborhood around it.
#4 Why can’t we just have small retail and restaurants instead? What else can go here?
As much as residents might yearn for small retail and restaurants, the choice of tenant rests with the property owner, not the Town. Case in point, at CVS at Main and Plain, there were long efforts to fight that use, but it ended up being built anyway. Large vs. small retail, chain vs. mom-and-pop, food use or not, this is private property, not public, and the owner decides, within its zoning options.
Small restaurants, bakeries or ice cream shops are often stated as desirable – however, doubly difficult, these are water-intensive food uses. This site, like much of the area, has clay-based soils which don’t perk very well, so water-intensive food uses are just not possible septic-wise, unfortunately.
Small mom-and-pop retailers, which several residents also aspire to see, are unlikely based on financial realities of new projects (see Q&A 7.4 if you want to know details).
So what could go here? Existing zoning effectively allows a single retail store/building, maybe with a second floor of office, in a sea of parking. Most recent example: CVS at Main and Plain, with a big parking lot and additional area in reserve to meet its full parking requirement. (The owner of Donelan’s plaza showed his own 20+ year old plan for this 193 Comm site, which was similar, a CVS-scale building block and a ton of parking.) At best, perhaps, there could be a long skinny building like the Starbucks plaza – which would, most likely, end up looking visually similar to the proposed use from the perspective of Donelan’s parking lot – but with a ton of parking behind or in front of it.
Tax revenues for any of these would be a fraction of Retail Self Storage (see the Tax Revenues tab for info), since all are a fraction of the square footage. Yet the traffic, asphalt and impacts would be higher for all.
#5 I’m very concerned about Snake Brook, it feeds into Lake Cochituate, we need to be mindful of its contributory streams and any adverse impact that can come from building nearby. How can we possibly think about building a project of this size here?
This is such a key point: this proposed zoning is not a question between this proposed zoning and building nothing.
This is a question between the proposed zoning vs. what is allowed as-of-right, under existing zoning. This site is already zoned commercial. With a host of messy potential uses that could be built.
Don’t want to see huge parking lots that generate surface runoff? Existing zoning REQUIRES huge amounts of parking. This zoning significantly reduces parking for this new use, given its unique usage.
Concerned about septic effects? As long as a system meets rules & regs, it will get built. Retail Self Storage has one of the lowest septic uses compared to many other commercial uses.
Concerned about uses like food service or retail that have large dumpsters and potential spillage? This proposed use generates little waste and has no external dumpsters.
Daily truck deliveries? There are few if any. Loading docks are not even allowed.
If there is a concern for Snake Brook, this new proposed use is one of the cleanest potential uses compared to what’s currently allowed under commercial zoning. Plus it guarantees green net zero, solar construction, which embraces Wayland’s green community goals. This zoning provides the opportunity to be responsible with the site instead of leaving it to chance.
For more, see the Q&A tab – and if you have a question that hasn’t been answered yet, click on Ask Us!