Planning board OKs Mt. Washington development
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Jim Nolan witnessed the famous flag raising on Iwo Jima in 1945 during World War II. Now, the 84-year-old veteran wants to be the one to hoist the flag at the opening of an ambitious $90 million hotel and condominium development on Mount Washington.
He may get his chance.
Much to Mr. Nolan's delight, city planning commission members cleared the way for the One Grandview Avenue project yesterday by unanimously recommending a zoning change and approving a preliminary land development plan for the venture.
The zoning change, from a mix of Grandview public realm, local neighborhood commercial, and multifamily to a residential and commercial planned unit development district, now goes before city council for a vote.
Developer Steven Beemsterboer said after yesterday's vote that he hoped to break ground on the project a year from now. He and architect Charles L. Desmone are proposing to build a 110-room luxury hotel and up to 55 condominiums on a four-acre parcel at the site of the former Edge restaurant, which has been vacant for more than 20 years and which has been characterized as an eyesore.
"This certainly looks to me like a fantastic project," planning commission member Kirk Burkley said before voting in favor of it.
Mr. Beemsterboer and Mr. Desmone are hoping to recruit a top flag to run a four- to five-star hotel in a stepped building at least 18 stories high. The luxury condos would sit on the hillside and wrap around a giant plaza that would be open to the public.
Based on initial estimates, condos, with an average size of 2,000 square feet, would start at $380,000 to $390,000, Mr. Desmone has said.
During more than an hour of testimony before the vote, most people spoke in favor of the project, saying it had the potential to be an iconic attraction and stimulate development on Mount Washington.
"This project is not about one person, one street. It's about our city, the city of Champions," said Sandra Fundy, who owns more than a dozen properties on nearby Wyoming Street and who said the development probably would block her view of the Downtown skyline.
"Boy, we have something here. We're making something good from something that's real bad," added Frank Valenta, a board member with the Mount Washington Community Development Corp., which supports the development.
However, not everybody was enthralled with the project. Several property owners spoke in opposition, raising concerns about the scale of the project, the traffic impact and ground stabilization and runoff issues. Some said it would ruin views of prominent landmarks.
"I'm not going to see anything," said Harry Edgos, who lives at the corner of Wyoming and East Sycamore Street and who called the proposed development an "ego trip."
Another resident, Lynne Squilla, urged the developer to consider scaling back the project to a more appropriate size.
But Mr. Beemsterboer said the plan already was scaled back. Further reductions could affect the financial viability of the endeavor, he said.
He added he hopes to line up investors for the development over the next six months and start pre-marketing the condos as soon as city council approves the zoning change, assuming that happens.
First Published November 11, 2009 12:00 am
