By Laura Hayes, Senior Community Reporter
(Photo/Jesse Kucewicz)
SHREWSBURY – The Shrewsbury Planning Board heard the first steps to what may eventually become a senior housing development near Shrewsbury High School during an Oct. 7 meeting.
Plans filed with the town indicate that they were prepared for Cypress Avenue Development Partners LLC, which lists an address in Natick.
These plans do not show any proposed buildings on what is a 25.72-acre tract.
The plans do, however, show a proposed entrance off a short dead-end road at the intersection of Greenbriar Drive and Cypress Avenue.
That entrance would lead to a cul-de-sac and one curb cut.
“The Planning Department understands from discussions with the developer that they would move forward with a Site Plan Approval and Special Permit application for senior housing (55+) with the Planning Board once the Subdivision Application is approved,” Town Planner Bernie Cahill wrote in an email to the Community Advocate Oct. 15.
He said the subdivision is needed to create the minimum frontage required for a senior housing development of at least 50 feet in accordance to the zoning bylaw.
Barry Yaceshyn of WDA Design Group said during the October Planning Board meeting that the plans propose 451 feet of frontage.
“On behalf of WDA Design, we have filed this definitive plan to create access to 25-plus acres of buildable parcel at the end of Cypress Street,” Yaceshyn said.
Yaceshyn said his team has participated in meetings with town departments to review the plans “as well as potential future subdivisions.”
“Obviously, this is a prelude to something else,” said Vice Chair Stephan Rodolakis. “Without seeing what the next act is, it’s kind of hard for me to comment.”
Resident George Germanos, who lives in the neighborhood, raised concerns about the prospect of the cul-de-sac being built only to then have plans denied for the developers’ subsequent project.
He said such a cul-de-sac could be “either a perfect dumping ground or an area where kids or anybody can congregate.”
“I have serious safety concerns,” he continued. “I think there are some assumptions that are being made here based on really nothing. We don’t have anything to base it off of.”
Rodolakis said that the cul-de-sac likely wouldn’t be built if the developer’s subsequent project isn’t approved.
“I could be wrong, but business judgment would say they would not build this until they got the second phase of whatever contemplated project that they’re thinking about bringing forward before the board because it would be several hundred thousand dollars,” Rodolakis said.
The plans are expected to go back before the Planning Board in December.
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