NEWS

Parking, affordable housing concerns addressed in Legion Bowl project

By EMMA BARTLETT
Posted 7/19/22

Back in February when Legion Development Inc. held a public site walk at Park Avenue’s Legion Bowl and Pub on Park, residents raised concerns about parking, traffic and affordable housing. The …

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NEWS

Parking, affordable housing concerns addressed in Legion Bowl project

Posted

Back in February when Legion Development Inc. held a public site walk at Park Avenue’s Legion Bowl and Pub on Park, residents raised concerns about parking, traffic and affordable housing. The Legion Bowl project proposes to build a four-story building for residential and commercial use. Since that discussion, Senior City Planner Joshua Berry said the applicant, Legion Development Inc., has worked well with the city and residents to create a development that fits the area and addresses locals’ concerns. At the Planning Commission’s July 12 meeting, Berry shared the latest Legion Development Inc.’s latest plans which include an affordable housing component, alternative plan for increased parking spaces and more.

Applicant Marshall D’Ambrosia’s family has owned the property since the 1930s where they had a family-operated bowling alley. D’Ambrosia decided he wanted to improve the property with this proposed development.

Berry informed the commission that the Park Avenue property that Legion Bowl and Pub on Park sit on is zoned C-3 (general commercial use). He added that Legion Development Inc. requested an amendment to zoning be altered to “C-3 with conditions,” which would allow for more site appropriate uses such as density, off-site parking and building height.

The applicants proposed a 69-unit building but have the ability to create a maximum of 75 units. In addition to the residential spaces, there will be a commercial component on the street level; this commercial space cannot take up more than 25 percent of the building’s overall square footage. The applicant can also have commercial use on the rooftop as long as it does not exceed 50 percent of that area.

One of the aspects residents inquired about during the site was affordable housing. Legion Development Inc.’s project will include an affordable housing component in the zoning ordinance which says a 15 percent minimum of the overall residential units should be deemed affordable according to Rhode Island Housing for 30 years. Cranston’s affordable housing stock sits at 5.48 percent, and state law requires that 10 percent of a city’s housing stock is affordable unless it meets the exemption criteria for rental units and affordability. The city meets the exemption and is compliant with state law, but that doesn’t mean that housing affordability is not an issue.

Cranston resident and Research and Policy Director for HousingWorks RI Annette Bourne supports the Legion Bowl Project. She told commission members that many of the people who occupy affordable units do not have a car and suggested that some of the extra spaces in the parking lot be designated to Zipcars. She added that in the last 10 years, Cranston has produced zero affordable housing units and that neighboring cities like Warwick and Johnston have produced over 60 units each.

Bourne added that this development could benefit Rolfe Square and also work well should RIPTA’s 2040 Plan of constructing an east to west bus route along Park Avenue be established.

Additionally, building height would be considered in the C-3 zoning amendment. Currently, city code allows for a maximum of three stories. The maximum building height for the proposed project isfour stories and 50 feet, plus another 10 feet to accommodate rooftop improvements and other amenities such as a rooftop kitchen, accessory dining for commercial or residential components; height was considered due to the project’s limited land area and affordable housing component.

Residents in the Doric Avenue and Clarendon Street area voiced parking concerns including Laura Maguire who believed that while this would be a nice initiative, the project’s size, parking accessibility and potential traffic worried her.

Brian LaPlante, who represented D’Ambrosia, said a traffic study was not required for the project, but had one done anyway due to residents’ parking concerns. The review came back saying there were 42 car trips at peak; there was not a cause for concern.

In terms of building usage, Legion Development Inc. is permitted to use the property for multifamily, animal daycare, loft space (live/work), tavern/pub/neighborhood bar, veterinarian hospital or clinic. On special occasions, the area could be used for assisted living. Commission Steve Frias did have concerns with the tavern/pub/neighborhood bar component, resulting in language changes to the zoning ordinance.

For density, commissioners added that there would not be more than 10 two-bedroom dwelling units in the building. As for off-street parking, the amended zoning ordinance said there should be no less than a ratio of 1.25 spaces per studio/one bedroom dwelling units and two spaces per two-bedroom dwelling unit. Additionally, the commercial uses do not require off-street parking unless a commercial use includes a tavern/pub/neighborhood bar. Legion Development Inc.’s justification that no additional parking was needed for commercial spaces was that residents would not likely be home when the commercial venue was open.

In a 6-1 vote (Commissioner James Donahue dissenting), the Planning Commission approved the ordinance which was sent to the City Council’s ordinance committee Thursday where it received approval.

Legion Development Inc. also provided the city with an alternative site plan that increased the parking spaces from 100 to 112 spaces by reducing the parking space widths from 10 feet to nine feet. Additionally, the North Clarendon Street emergency access would be closed and additional landscaping and spaces would be provided there.

The staff analysis said the two ordinances establish a pathway for a mixed-use project that would provide much needed housing, breathe life into the Park Avenue corridor and potentially catalyze further investments to Cranston which would help stabilize its tax base and improve the quality of life for residents.

Other conditions of approval for the project include exploring the feasibility of incorporating solar energy systems for roofs and the parking area as well as the feasibility of incorporating electric vehicle charging stations on site.

The second ordinance called for a change to the comprehensive plan that proposed a switch from Neighborhood Commercial/Services to Mixed Plan Development. The Planning Commission and ordinance committee approved this consideration.

Berry said that most applications for building projects are slapped on their desks, but D’Ambrosia reached out far in advance to see what the city would want to do. He added that this was hands down the most collaborative project he’s seen.

The ordinances will go to the full City Council on July 25.

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  • Mom2

    It's a residential neighborhood. There are a variety of businesses along Park Ave. and extending into Rolfe Sq. This particular area had some "retail" until I-95 was built but that was decades ago. Any retail in that area is a pizza place that involves in/out traffic. The rest are listed as "business" but they are dedicated to one product - a funeral home and a daycare. The little that I've seen addressed will bring down the area. A four-story building doesn't fit the area. If there's some "rooftop" area, there's a contradiction between these parties. One party wants to use the space as "entertainment" and the other claims it's a good place for solar. Which is it?

    This is a blatant attempt to up the tax base and makes some money in the deal for the owner/lawyer. There are other places in the city for affordable housing and, based on what was initially reported, the apts. will be the market value which is overpriced. The State has taken over the Howard complex, razed buildings yet pay "in lieu of taxes". Use that area to build. There's a busline, easy access to I-95, shouldn't interfere with Garden City, close to markets, retail, restaurants, library, etc. It would provide more apts., both regular & affordable, plenty of parking and a larger tax base.

    Even the architect's drawing is deceiving!

    IMO, this was a done deal to start with. Legion was once a good neighbor. Now it's not.

    Monday, July 25, 2022 Report this