Braintree To Appeal HAC Decisions On 383 Washington St Housing

BRAINTREE, MA - The Town of Braintree will be appealing two decisions by the Housing Appeals Committee issued on March 15 that overturned the denials by the town's Zoning Board of Appeals for two housing permits, according to the office of Mayor Charles Kokoros, citing safety concerns over the two proposed developments.

On March 15, 2022, the Housing Appeals Committee, or HAC, issued two decisions overturning the ZBA's denial of two comprehensive permits to the applicant, 383 Washington Street, LLC. The applicant sought to develop a 70-unit rental building and an eight-unit townhouse ownership development at 383-385 Washington St. and 0 Storrs Ave.

As grounds for the denial of the rental application, the ZBA relied on concerns raised by the Deputy Fire Chief that the design of the site failed to provide adequate fire access. Additionally, in denying both applications, the ZBA noted the applicant’s failure to provide an outdoor recreational area for the intended residents.

These decisions follow the HAC’s rejection of the Town’s 2017 assertion that the Town had achieved a safe harbor status in that 1.5% of the Town’s general land area was dedicated to affordable housing.

"Needless to say, Mayor Kokoros is disappointed with these decisions and the HAC’s refusal to acknowledge the Town’s legitimate concerns and support for safe, well-designed community housing," according to a statement. "The Town, with unanimous support from the members of the ZBA, will be pursuing appeals of both decisions in the coming weeks."