##VIDEO ID:m0J7oM_GSHI## [Music] f all right Bill do we need a formal introduction or can we just begin speaking um I'll defer to Maran mric on that point to order if you I'm Mary mcettrick I'm representing the um applicants for this meeting um applicant is USC LLC the current holder of a uh comprehensive permit at 728 Randolph ab and the purchasers of that project the residences at quarry Hills LLC who are applying to change to to receive um a determination by the board of appeal of what they hope will be considered an insubstantial change they want to change the project from condominium ownership to single family I'm sorry to um Apartments um and we did meet previously but the meeting wasn't properly posted so tonight it's been posted and we're basically holding the meeting again um I believe here tonight is Kyle Harish um he's one of the principles in the buyer um organization and I know what we did last time was we asked Kyle to explain why they are making this request to change the form of ownership so if with your permission I'd like to ask Kyle Harish to just explain that yeah I think that's a good idea um Kyle if you would sure yes thank you Marian for the introduction um our request to change this project from condos to rentals is um kind of a two-part answer one um being from Milton uh myself and the other principles in this project care very much about this town and the housing inventory and understand the predicament we are in um so we feel as being able to add all 40 units to the uh housing inventory would be beneficial to the town um secondarily I am partnering with uh the Falcone companies who have a long history of success in um holding on to buildings and renting them out that is just their business model that has worked for them for Generations um and something that I have uh become very familiar with under their tutelage um so I feel like as a project owner and manager it's in our best interest to run it as they run their other projects and buildings which they've been very successful at and have good methods and standards for which I think uh the town can benefit from having another building uh under their kind of uh supervision and then also as I mentioned earlier is the uh housing inventory issue that we all are aware of so um those are the primary reasons um and I think you know if there's any other questions you guys may have um I'm happy to receive them so this board previously approved um the granting the permit for this building and am I correct in stating that the only change between the time that the permit was issued and tonight is the plan to make these rental units as opposed to condominium units that's correct correct okay no changes to the number of units the number of bedrooms no changes to the building design or the site design or any other physical aspects of the project okay um I don't have any further questions for Mr Harish uh Mr Gray do you have any questions for Marian or for Mr Harish uh but thank you for asking Mr Mullen I I wonder if we could get an update on the stat status of the application of the transfer of the permit from the application is pending with Mass housing Mass housing requires um that this change of the form of units be approved before they will approve the transfer of ownership so it's a we're sort of a between a rock and a hard place we need your approval of the change of units once Mass housing has that in writing from you if you're willing to do it as an insubstantial change then Mass housing is ready to go forward and approve the transfer of ownership and then there are various other steps that have to be taken and will be taken by the new owners to complete the 40b regulatory process and I wonder if you recognizing that there is some additional procedural and permitting activity to uh be undertaken I wonder if you be able to share with us your proposed schedule for construction of the project I can share that um as Marion pointed out first step is the Mass housing so I am in the midst of basically uh editing our application that we've acquired from our from the seller and there's just one part left which is just calculating the rents and they won't allow me access to that yet until they get their um you know letter from you guys if that if that's the direction we go and then they'll allow me access to that and I can go in and change the the uh all the units in in their appropriate rents um that being said once that's finalized we'll be going for uh for our construction loan we've already engaged several Banks fortunate for us the other partner here is the Falcone family and they have um long-standing relationship with banks especially those that are funding other projects in town here so we have loose commitments but not formal yet because we don't know if it's going to be rental or condo again with that being said Our intention is to fully move forward as fast as possible um hoping for a spring start but depends on the funding and the the remaining parts with Mass housing so thank you sure you know I know at the last hearing and it's part of the preparation for that we had a letter from Mr Driscoll the uh the the the abutter you know we had uh by my count we had 15 hearings on this permit that we granted in 2023 so it's it's probably worth acknowledging for the record the contents of that letter which you know I think speaks for itself but we I think the board ought to acknowledge for the record that he was in support of this change that's right right Mar yes that's correct and actually in between the last meeting that didn't count in this meeting um Mr Harish met with John Driscoll to discuss some of the specifics of how they intend to manage the project as a rental project and um they were able to discuss who they hope will be the management company who's been approached it's not finalized but um I I think it's fair to say that um concerns about what this change would mean for the Neighbors the immediate neighbors who are the driscolls um were answered appropriately and they you know they have some confidence they have confidence in both of these um both um Mr Falcone and Mr Harish they didn't really know Kyle Harish so the meeting I think was important to establish the beginning of a relationship and it was a very good meeting thank you I don't have any further questions prepared to um move the item Bill are there any members of the public or is there anybody else um that would like to be heard on this matter it's not a hearing but I figure if there's an opportunity to answer questions now would be it I do not see any hands raised okay I mean in my opinion I think that the change proposed by the applicant is not substantial um you know the the uh the building the grounds everything about the project Remains the Same as that which existed when we granted the permit last year um and the only change seems to be the Chang from condominium ownership to a rental model um and I view that as not substantial um and so I would pass um pass the microphone to Mr Gray or Mr Mullen to see if they would like to weigh in on that I concur with your analysis Mr Brown and um although that that the change is unsubstantial and although it's not really part of our analysis as to whether or not it's unsubstantial or not I do that the it would be a benefit to the town to have more affordable housing units and I believe the testimony at the prior prior meeting was that because they're converted to rental units all of the units in the property would be accountable towards affordable housing Mrs mckettrick is not in in agreement as opposed to just the whatever the number was before which was substantially less than the whole so that's a great benefit to the town so I'm I'm I think it makes a lot of certainly the Falcone are very well known in town and managed and continue to manage a lot of the commercial real estate in the town so I'm I'm I'm very comfortable with the that this is an unsubstantial change and support the application yeah I agree and the only the only thing I'll add is for the reasons I previously stated I think we should document this in the in a First Amendment to the decision we issued in in 2023 for the record and then you uh the applicant will will have it as will the asine for Mass housings review and and hopefully uh move this uh move this project along to construction so um I I'm in I'm in support of this as well okay I'm just going to make it a formal motion so I would move that the board um that we as a board um find that the proposed change by the applicant is deemed unsubstantial I agree I agree all in favor all yeah okay oh you were calling for a second I second that yeah I I was ready to I just I jumped the gun sorry it's hard when there are only three of us it's been seconded and agreed to by the unanimous unanimously by the board great great thank you thank you gentlemen appreciate it I'll undertake to write the First Amendment to the decision and have that out in the next few days thank you very much thank you welcome thank you good to see you all good luck with the project thank you app thank you very much appreciate your coming back thanks thanks Brill good night thank you all good night good night everyone [Music] he he