Planning board grants taller buildings
PETER J. CLEARY
Sentinel Staff
In the latest modification of a downtown Keene redevelopment, two proposed buildings grew up a bit. The Keene Planning Board gave the okay Monday for fifth stories on two buildings the Monadnock Economic Development Corp. plans for the city’s former railroad property east of Main Street. Also Monday, the board considered two proposals for senior-citizen housing. The Monadnock Economic Development Corp. hopes to put a hotel and mixed-use building with offices, stores and condominiums on the railroad land. Last summer, the planning board approved the initial plans, which called for four-story brick buildings. The buildings approved Monday are essentially the same as those originally approved, just one story taller. “This probably looks very familiar to you,” said project architect Daniel V. Scully of Keene as he presented drawings of the five-story buildings. “Essentially, all we’ve done is slide a story in underneath.” “It seems like Keene is getting taller with each planning board meeting,” said board member Vicky Morton. The planned buildings, Scully said, are no taller than any other five-story building in Keene. The extra space will allow for more hotel rooms and condominiums. Kristin R. McKeon, who owns property next to the proposed development, said the buildings are getting too tall, and she has concerns about the strain extra visitors will put on downtown parking. She has filed an appeal of a zoning board decision allowing for the fifth floors. Mayor Michael E.J. Blastos, also a planning board member, suggested the developer work with the city on a multi-level parking garage for the railroad land. Dugan said he’s open to that. The fifth story went through the board without much difficulty, though members were concerned about a few details missing from the plans. The board unanimously approved the change but is requiring a compliance hearing where it’s asking the developer to bring plans showing more prominent cornices, additional trim and window details. Development group President John G. Dugan also informed board members of tentative plans for a part of the downtown property that was once slated for an athletics complex. In its place, he’s hoping to put offices for Southwestern Community Services and a building the agency plans for housing for the elderly. Dugan is also looking at a building for classrooms and performance space for MoCo Arts, formerly The Moving Company Dance Center. The social-service agency asked the board Monday for advice on the apartments for the elderly. The architecture of the apartment building, which will have 24 units, will blend in with the hotel and mixed-use building already planned, said project engineer Robert Hitchcock of Keene-based SVE Associates. Southwestern Community Services didn’t present detailed plans for the apartments, but expects to seek board approval at next month’s meeting and to start building next year. Dugan is still working on plans to put some sort of athletics complex on the land, he said, and he’s still planning to buy the former J.A. Wright building on Dunbar Street. That building borders the railroad land development. Earlier this year, his plans to buy the building were called into question when its main tenant, Aellora Digital, announced it was closing. He’s found new tenants, he said, and expects to have the building’s financing in place by the end of this week. Tenants will be moving in during the next few months. Dugan wouldn’t say much about the tenants, other than one is First Course, a consortium of social-service agencies that trains clients to work in commercial kitchens. The board also considered plans for redevelopment of a Water Street building into housing for the elderly. KBM Properties — Keene LLC is looking to put about 100 apartments in the building. It would renovate one of two existing buildings on the property and construct a second new building. The other existing building would be taken down. H. Neil Berkson, the attorney representing the developer, called the plans a “substantial upgrade” to the existing state of the property at 197 Water St. Even so, in its report to the board, the planning department said it’s concerned about the colors and type of material being used on the new construction. Planning board standards say all new buildings must fit with the character of Keene and cannot be visually aggressive. Oftentimes, that means covering a building with brick. Plans showed the new part of the apartment building covered with stucco of reddish and tan colors, and planner Mikaela L. Engert said the architecture resembled a corporate, modern design with historical elements. Board members also questioned the choice of material. “So no brick,” board member Robert L. Mallat 3rd said to the project architect. “We kind of like to see brick.” Architect David V. Hartke of Holicong, Pa., said he’d come back with a stucco design that makes the material look more like brick. The soil on the property, he said, isn’t strong enough to support a new brick building. The developer also asked to put a wrought-iron fence along Water Street in place of a brick fence the planning department recommended. Board members agreed a wrought-iron fence with shrubs would be appropriate to screen the building and parking lot from the street. McKeon, who also owns property next to this proposed development, said she’s concerned the redevelopment will increase flooding on her property. The plans include a berm, which McKeon said would force extra floodwater onto her property. The board put off a decision on the Water Street development until next month, asking the developer to come back with more information. KBM Properties hopes to start construction by spring.