Technical Review Committee
Technical Review Committee reviewed redevelopment proposals for 45 Main Street (Fuller Building conversion of upper floors to apartments with storefront changes and a modest roof raise) and 5 & 9 School Street (Ordway Building conversion to six units with parking reconfiguration, a new sidewalk connection, and potential easements). The committee also reviewed a proposed dog grooming business at 47 Macy Street and an accessory dwelling unit conversion at 6 Cedar Court.
The Technical Review Committee met to review multiple downtown development proposals and several administrative items. The committee discussed a redevelopment proposal at 45 Main Street (the Fuller Building) to retain first-floor retail while converting the second and third floors into one-bedroom apartments (two units per floor), add a new mezzanine and Friend Street storefront, raise the roof by 3–4 feet, replace upper-story windows with historically-appropriate Pella windows, remove the exterior fire escape, and fully sprinkle the building. The project team reported a flow test had been completed and that domestic and fire services would be upgraded; sewer calculations were not yet submitted and DPW review was requested when available. Fire expressed an initial means-of-egress concern but later confirmed with state guidance that a second egress was not required for a fully sprinkled building. Committee members noted ongoing coordination with Mass Historic and the Historical Commission on façade treatments; parking and affordable-housing questions will be worked out by the Planning Board (including possible parking waivers or municipal parking solutions).
The committee also reviewed the 5 & 9 School Street proposal, which would put six residential units into the Ordway Building, remove an addition, restore sidewalk connectivity with a 6-foot sidewalk to the library, and reconfigure the parking area to provide eight spaces dedicated to the Ordway building. The design includes removing and moving a concrete wall (potentially onto Fire Department property) to maximize driveway width, landscape islands, a rear patio, and a rear trash enclosure that may require an easement; the city has retained the rear 8,000 sq ft of the lot for a planned library expansion. Fire noted the Ordway building will require sprinklers and a fire alarm; DPW requested fixture counts and water flow test data for their review. Administrative reviews included a proposed dog-grooming use at 47 Macy Street (applicants were asked to provide a stamped site plan showing conformance with parking requirements) and an ADU conversion at 6 Cedar Court within a preexisting nonconforming structure (discussion focused on how conversions of nonconforming structures are handled and on sewer/easement implications). The committee agreed to move future meeting days to the first and third Thursdays pending confirmation. Minutes for prior meetings were approved and the meeting adjourned.