By Michael Coughlin Jr.

At a meeting last week, attendees heard Rogerson Communities’ plans to redevelop their site at 434 Jamaicaway, which would replace memory care beds and create new affordable housing opportunities for seniors. 

The project proponent, Rogerson Communities, serves more than 2,000 families in the state with 30 facilities and programs, including at the project site, which is currently a 66-bed assisted living memory care community and social day program.

As part of this project, a new seven-story building would be erected, creating 67 affordable apartments for seniors and replacing the existing memory care beds and social day program with 66 new memory care beds and a social day program.

Moreover, there are plans for a total of 62 parking spaces, 33 of which would be in a garage. Regarding the affordability of the proposed apartments, they would be offered at 60% of area median income (AMI).

It should be noted that the abovementioned aspects of the redevelopment are part of phase one of the project, and they were the primary topic of last week’s meeting hosted by the Planning Department.

However, in addition to these phase one plans, Rogerson Communities proposes to demolish the existing memory care addition and legacy building and add more senior housing as part of a potential phase two of the redevelopment.

“After the new building, what we call phase one, is erected and built, people are moved from the current building into phase one, and then there is a small phase of the demolition of the current building to make room for a phase two which is not part of the PNF (project notification form) that was submitted however is part of the overall planning of the site,” said Philippe Saad, a member of the project team.

Another project team member, Emilee Regan, highlighted how the proposed redevelopment aligns with the area’s zoning requirements. Specifically, this project would need variances for additional lot area square footage for units over three and height in feet and stories.

As noted, the proposed building is slated to be seven stories and is projected to be 81 feet tall. These proposed dimensions are well over the zoning maximums in the area, which were presented as three stories and 35 feet.

Regan also indicated that conversations with the community this fall helped shape the current proposal.

“A lot of the feedback that we collected throughout those meetings that took place between September and December helped to inform the final proposal that was submitted in the PNF,” she said.

Some of the changes to the proposal include reductions in the number of apartments and massing, along with increases in open space access and on-site parking. Regan also mentioned that a more detailed look was taken at parking and traffic and that overnight parking at the facility for neighbors would return.

As the presentation continued, Saad highlighted other aspects of the project, such as enhancing connections between Centre Street and the Jamaicaway, improving sidewalks, landscaping, and more.

Eventually, after Saad outlined floor plans and renderings, attendees were given the opportunity to comment and ask questions.

The most common theme among residents who commented on the proposal was that they supported providing affordable housing to seniors but opposed the design in which the proponents planned to do it.

For example, the height of the building was a major concern for several attendees.

An abutter who lives on Beaufort Road said, “It is out of keeping with the rest of what we have in the neighborhood. The top floors that are not brick are very much out of keeping, and it will be seen very clearly from the Jway and the pond.”

“Permitting a building to surpass the established zoning height limit by over 230% sets a perilous precedent, undermining the core purpose of zoning laws,” said another attendee.

“If such an extreme deviation is allowed, what protections will remain for other neighborhoods against future violations?”

Many residents also did not think the project’s sheer scale was compatible with the area. One attendee thought the site’s current parking situation was insufficient, mentioning that staff members already park on the street.

This same attendee explained that the proposed parking would also be insufficient, especially considering the apartments planned with phase two of the redevelopment.

“Parking in the neighborhood is already tight. Beaufort and Lakeville Roads are narrow. Beaufort Road is 23 feet wide with one side of parking, and Lakeville is even narrower at 20 feet wide with one side of parking,” they said.

As the conversation continued, several attendees shared their concerns about the project’s impact on traffic in the area, shadows, light, delivery plans, construction length, and more.

While many concerns were raised, and many attendees commented that they opposed the design, a few were supportive.

For example, one attendee supported the design, saying, “I strongly support this project. I think the design is excellent; I think it compliments the neighborhood nicely.”

Eventually, the discussion ended, and Camille Platt of the Planning Department closed the meeting.

To learn more about the project and view the meeting’s recording and presentation, visit https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/rogerson-beaufort.

Comments on the project can be made at the abovementioned link or via email to Platt at camille.platt@boston.gov. The current comment period is open until February 14.