St. Thomas More property in Braintree is one step closer to becoming condos. What's next

BRAINTREE − A zoning change for the St. Thomas More Church property has advanced, winning a narrow endorsement by the town's planning board.

Developer George Clements has proposed building a 48-unit condominium development on the 12-acre parcel, with the units restricted to owners age 55 and older. The units would be a mix of townhouses, duplexes and detached dwellings and would be the first development of its type in the town.

Clements has said he would give the town 4 or 5 acres of the property to use as open space.

The planning board voted 3-2 in favor of the change Tuesday night. The proposal now goes to the town council, where a two-thirds majority vote is needed for approval.

Both the church, which has not been used for regular services for the past four years, and the long-closed school would be torn down under the plan. The town's historical commission is considering imposing a four-month delay of the church demolition under a town ordinance.

What can be built on St. Thomas More property with current zoning?

If the zoning change is ultimately denied, Clements still has the right, under the current zoning, to build up to 26 single-family houses on the land, with each house having four or five bedrooms.

He told the planning board that companies have asked him about locating a day care and an assisted living facility on the property, which he could also build without a zoning change, along with up to a dozen houses.

Clements has an agreement to buy the land from the Boston archdiocese.

The property is surrounded by single-family homes, and many neighbors who spoke at the meeting said there is nothing to stop Clements from building something else on the property. For example, apartment buildings would be allowed under the Residence C zoning sought by Clements. The current zoning is Residence B, where multifamily structures are not allowed.

"Anything can happen" with the change, said Coleen Carroll, of Hawthorn Road.

Neighborhood concerns about St. Thomas More site

Anne Zablocki, of Old Elm Street, said developing the land would worsen drainage problems along the street.

"I'm at the point where I either have to raise the house or put it on a barge," she said.

Other neighbors said developing the property would worsen the traffic congestion at the intersection of Elm, Adams and Middle streets with Hawthorn Road.

District 2 Town Councilor Joseph Reynolds, who represents the area, said he is not ready to take a position on the zoning change. He said he would prefer to see the church building stay and that any development be "compatible with the neighborhood."

Kelly Moore, of Hollis Avenue, pointed out that Clements is a Braintree resident and would be preferable to a developer from out of town.

"The developer we know is better than the developer we don't," he said.

Why some town officials back the zoning change at St. Thomas More

Melissa SantucciRozzi, the town's director of planning and community development, recommended the zoning change to the board, saying the proposed development would be "a community within a community."

A single-family development would require "clear-cutting a good portion of the land," which includes a wooded section. That would be "very intrusive to the neighborhood," she said.

Voting in favor of the recommendation were board Chair Kim Kroha and members Darryl Mikami and Thomas Kent. Opposed were William Grove and Jennifer Connolly.

If the zoning change is approved by the council, plans for any development would need to be reviewed and approved by the planning board.

What does developer George Clements think?

In an interview after the meeting, Clements said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the chances for the zoning change.

"I'm hopeful I can help my town create responsible, financially sound development," he said. "We certainly need revenue."

Since the property, which has an assessed value of $8 million, is owned by a religious organization, the town collects no property taxes on it.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Plan for zoning change at St. Thomas More in Braintree gets first OK