HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.a Application Pages 1-9 - Comprehensive Permit - Application - 0 Prescott Street 10/21/2025 Comprehensive Permit Application
Filed Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 40B, §§ 20-23, and 760 CMR 56.00 et seq, and
Town of North Andover Comprehensive Permit Rules and Regulations of the
Zoning Board of Appeals (March 13, 2001, Rev. 2006)
Zero Prescott
(A 6.13 acre Lot Known and Numbered as 0 Prescott Street, Assessors Map 68, Lot 10)
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Submitted By:
East Mill Housing LLC (the "Applicant")
October 21, 2025
ZERO PRESCOTT
0 Prescott Street, North Andover
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. SUMMARY OF THE APPLICANT, DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL, LOCALNEED
AND PERMIT REQUEST
A. Description of Applicant
B. General Project Overview
C. Local Need
D. Proposed Findings of Fact
E. Request for Comprehensive Permit
11. JURISDICTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
A. The Applicant
B. Site Control
C. Project Eligibility
III. SITE/EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT
A. Site Location, Access and Topographical Features
B. Utilities
C. Wetland Features/Estimated Habitat
D. Stormwater Management
E. Traffic and Parking
F. Approach to Site and Building Design
G. Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
IV. NARRATIVES AND EXHIBITS
A. Form Zoning Board of Appeals Application
B. Owner Authorization
C. Tabulation Data
D. Applicant Entity Information
E. Evidence of Site Control
F. Letter of Project Eligibility
G. Waivers List
H. Applicant and Project Team
1. Stormwater Management Report
J. Traffic Impact Study
K. Certified Abutters List
L. Preliminary Site Civil, Architectural Plans and Elevations, Lighting and Landscaping Plans
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I. SUMMARY OF THE APPLICANT,PROJECT PROPOSAL,LOCAL NEED AND PERMIT REQUEST
A. Description of Applicant
East Mill Housing LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company, as the Applicant, is a single purpose
entity which will be subject to the limited dividend requirements and is qualified to undertake the
planning and development of multifamily housing under Chapter 40B in North Andover. The Applicant
is controlled by the site Owner, RCG North Andover Mills LLC, and principals from Somerville, MA-
based RCG LLC (RCG). RCG's team is led by David Steinbergh, a Principal who has been working on the
redevelopment of both the East Mill (since 2007), and West Mill (since 2014). East Mill and West Mill
were historically part of the Davis and Furber Machine Shop campus and have shared land and
infrastructure since the 191" century. RCG has substantial experience developing, managing, owning
and investing in multifamily housing in Massachusetts and in other select markets nationally. For the
Zero Prescott project, the Applicant has assembled a strong team with extensive experience in
multifamily and Chapter 40B housing permitting, development, and management.
B. General Project Overview
Zero Prescott (or the "Project") is a proposed Chapter 40B rental unit apartment community consisting
of two residential buildings offering a total of 296 rental units, including 222 units priced at market
rents and 74 units income-restricted in perpetuity to households earning at or below 80% of area
median income. The Project is to be located on an existing parcel comprised of approximately 6.13
acres (267,063 square feet) at the corner of High and Prescott Streets that is currently occupied by an
underutilized 2-story parking garage. The subject 6.13-acre parcel is shown as Lot 3 on a subdivision
plan entitled "Subdivision Plan, East Mill, 1 High Street & 0 Prescott Street, North Andover, Essex
County, MA 01845," prepared by Design Consultants, Inc., and recorded with said Deeds as Plan No.
18129, and is located on a portion of the site known as East Mill (the "Site" or "Property").
The Site was historically a part of about 40 acres of land comprising the Davis and Furber Machine
Shop complex(the "Mill Complex") which, according to records from the North Andover Historical
Society,' was a manufacturing company formed in 1851 which produced carding machines, spinning
jacks, and other machinery used to process wool. By the early 1860s, the expanding company built a
foundry to cast metal machine parts and machinery principally for the textile industry.The Mill
Complex closed in 1981 as the textile industry declined in the northeast and was subsequently
redeveloped in the early 1980's into an office complex for large high-technology companies by other
parties. RCG and its affiliates purchased a portion of the Mill Complex in 2007, consisting of 22.8 acres
of land and now known as East Mill, and which was largely vacant at the time of purchase. The Site is
located within that East Mill acquisition. In 2014, RCG and its affiliates purchased the second portion
of the former Mill Complex, now known as West Mill, consisting of approximately 18.5 acres. Through
a series of acquisitions, sales, and investments, both East Mill and West Mill have been redeveloped
into a thriving mixed-use neighborhood with almost 300 apartments and a mixture of retail, restaurant,
1 See"History of the Davis&Furber Machine Co.,"(undated),prepared by the North Andover Historical Society.
www.northandoverhistoricalsociety.org/textile-history
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medical, and professional offices.
The proposed Zero Prescott rental apartment community Project will be undertaken by RCG through
the Applicant, East Mill Housing LLC, as a redevelopment of the lot which currently includes an existing,
obsolete parking garage with additional surface parking. The Applicant proposes to build a new multi-
story parking garage wrapped by two residential buildings—Building One to the west and Building Two
to the east. Building One will have 150 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, and Building Two
will have 146 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.
Both buildings will be 4/5-story buildings with apartment flats --the topography of the Property is such
that the buildings will appear to be 4 stories from most of Prescott Street, and 5 stories from the view
at High Street and from the other buildings located on the East Mill campus. All units will be visitable
Massachusetts Group 1 units.z Five percent of the units will be Massachusetts Group 2 accessible
units and two percent will be Hearing Impaired units.'The development will offer 47 studios (17%),
119 one-bedroom units (42%), 99 two-bedroom units (31%,) and 31 three-bedroom units (10%).
Since 25% of the units within the Project will qualify as affordable units subject to a long-term
affordability restriction, all 296 units (or 100% of the units) will be eligible to be counted on the Town's
Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI), which would put the Town's SHI above 10%. By achieving the 10%
affordability goal, the Town would be in a position to reject future Chapter 40B proposals which the
Town feels would not align with the Town's housing goals, perhaps well beyond 2030. To the extent
approved by MassHousing, 70% of the units will carry a local preference.
Zero Prescott will include a total of 497 parking spaces on the Property dedicated to the Project. There
is a total of 892 parking spaces on or adjacent to the East Mill campus as calculated per the Zoning By-
Law. While the 497 spaces on the Property will provide 1.7 spaces per new residential unit and comply
with the Town's current zoning requirements for the number of parking spaces for each unit type, we
note that the campus has utilized shared parking principles since its conversion to a mixture of uses
and the remainder of the mill complex parking lots could be utilized by residents. The applicability of
this approach is confirmed by a parking demand analysis entitled "Traffic Impact Assessment," dated
October 2025, prepared by Vanasse &Associates, Inc. (VAI) (the "Traffic Report") and which uses
standardized demand data provided by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. See additional
parking details in the Parking narrative below. A copy of the Executive Summary of the Traffic Report is
attached in Section IV.J.
2 Group 1 units are defined under the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board(MAAB)Regulations,521 CMR,as"dwelling units that
have features that can be modified without structural change to meet the specific functional needs of an occupant with a disability."
Note that Massachusetts Architectural Access Board(MAAB)regulations at 521 CMR,is adopted through 780 CMR,the Massachusetts
State Building Code,and serves as the accessibility standard for Massachusetts.
3 Group 2 units are defined under the MAAB Regulations as"dwelling units that have features similar to Group 1,but have the additional
feature of greater floor space to accommodate the needs of occupants who need such space due to their disability and/or contain
features that provide,at the time of initial construction,full accessibility without need for further modification." As a result,5%of the
first-floor units will be Massachusetts Group 2 accessible units and two percent will be Hearing Impaired units,consistent with
Massachusetts Chapter 40B guidelines.
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The Project preserves areas with mature trees and landscape enhancements for the Site including
multiple deciduous street tree plantings and a variety of shrubs, grasses and groundcovers to provide
year-round seasonal interest. Pedestrian connections facilitate connections to High Street, Prescott
Street, and the mill pond walking path.
The Site is within a mile of multiple schools, municipal services, and recreation opportunities.The Mills
to Hills Trail can be accessed from within the Mill Complex and provides access to Weir Hill Reservation
located 1.2 miles east of the Site, which includes 4 miles of scenic trails and over 194 acres of
preserved open space.The Site is also located within walking distance of four public park/recreation
areas, including: Aplin Park and Playground (0.3 mi) (18 Clarendon Street); the playing fields at North
Andover High School (0.5) (430 Osgood Street); Chadwick Playground/McEvoy Field (0.6 mi) (Chadwick
Street and 411 Sutton Street); and Grogan's Field (0.8 mi)(67 Baldwin Street). There are two nearby
McVa bus routes, including Route 3, which provides access to McGovern Transportation Center in
Lawrence and Route 14, which runs along Sutton Street.
Zero Prescott aligns with a number of the Town's goals and objectives, including the following:
• Alignment with North Andover's Housing Diversity Goals. With the provision of 296 multifamily
rental units, of which a total of 74 units (or at least 25%) will be affordable units rented to
Income Eligible Households earning no more than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for
the Lawrence, MA HUD Metro Fair Market Rents (FMR) area, the Project will increase the
diversity of affordable rental housing options. As described in the Town of North Andover's
Housing Production Plan (June 2024) which was approved by the Executive Office of Housing
and Livable Communities (EOHLC) on December 30, 2024 ("North Andover HPP"), North
Andover's age projections show an aging population where the 65+ age group proportion is
projected to increase by 9%, making up almost a quarter of North Andover's population by
2050, suggesting a need for additional housing types suitable for downsizing and individuals on
a fixed income. North Andover HPP, at Chapter 2.11. In some cases, lack of suitable housing
may be a factor in the decrease that is projected for the under 20 age group which is projected
to decrease by 7%from 2020-2050, and which correlates with local school enrollment data,
indicating an already- occurring steady decrease in enrollment across all school types in town
despite the addition of market rate multi-family units in town, which may be due to a lack of
housing available to young families, especially if older adults do not have options for
downsizing and decide to stay in their larger home. Id. The Project also aligns with Housing
Goal 1 of the North Andover Master Plan which is to "provide for a diversity of housing choices
at a variety of price points across North Andover." See Town of North Andover Master Plan
(September 2008), prepared by RKG Associates, Inc. et als. ("North Andover Master Plan") at p.
61.
• Alignment with North Andover's Housing Production Goals. Based upon the latest data
published by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), the Town of
North Andover's Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) stands at 8.12%which is 224 affordable
units short of the 10% SHI goal. With a proposed rental community of 296 units where 74 units
of the units (or 25% of the units) will be affordable to persons or households earning no more
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than 80% if area median income ("AMI"), and because M.G.L. Chapter 40B allows 100% of units
in rental projects developed by a comprehensive permit, where at least 25% of units are
restricted for households earning at or below 80% of AMI, to count towards the SHI, 100% of
the 296 units would count toward the Town's SHI, bringing the Town well over its 10%goal (i.e.,
10.6%) with a small margin above 10%. By achieving the 10% affordability goal, the Town
would be in a position to reject future Chapter 40B proposals which the Town feels would not
align with the Town's housing goals, perhaps well beyond 2030.
• Alignment with North Andover's Master Plan Land Use Goal of Integrating Housing
Development Considerations in Areas with Existing Infrastructure in Smart Growth Locations.
The Project aligns with the North Andover Master Plan Housing Goal 3, which is to "focus new
housing development in locations that are adequately served by public infrastructure." North
Andover Master Plan, at p. 65. As described in the North Andover HPP, there are a number of
regulatory and other constraints to new housing in North Andover. The Project, however,
aligns well with efforts to consider these constraints. For example, the North Andover HPP
notes that as "new developments are proposed, permitted, and built, it is a top priority to
consider water and sewer capacity from both the Town and developer perspective." North
Andover HPP at Chapter 4.23. The Project includes existing water and sewer connections to the
Site in an existing underutilized area of East Mill, where adequate sewer and water services,
including adequate water flow and pressure for fire protection services exists. Also, while the
Site is currently located within two different underlying zoning districts, including Industrial S (I-
S) and Residential 4 (R-4), the Site is also located within the Downtown Overlay District -
Subdistrict A-- Historic Mill Area which allows the proposed use and most of the Project's
dimensional requirements by special permit, and where waivers will be sought from zoning and
other local requirements as necessary. Moreover, the North Andover HPP stresses the
importance of water supply watershed and wetland resource protection, and to this end, the
Project work will not be located within wetland resource areas and will incorporate stormwater
best management practices to ensure impacts are minimized. Also, RCG is well aware of
potential flooding impacts and has been cooperating with the Town to mitigate flood risk, and
although the Project work will not occur within any FEMA High Hazard Flood Zone, it is
anticipated that the Town could seek to leverage this Project to apply for State flood mitigation
funding to mitigate flooding along the entire Cochichewick Brook corridor through the
Massachusetts Community One Stop or other grant funding process based upon one or more
recommendations contained within the recently issued "Cochichewick Brook—Riverine
Floodplain Management Study, North Andover, MA," dated August 2025, prepared by Apex
(the "Flood Study"). Lastly, the Project is located in an area where potential transportation
impacts will be mitigated in accordance with the recommendations of Vanasse & Associates,
Inc. (VAI). Accordingly, the Project: (a) will result in the redevelopment of an existing
underutilized Site with an obsolete parking garage; (b) is on a parcel currently connected to
public sewer via the North Andover sewer system leading to the Greater Lawrence Sanitary
District wastewater treatment facility; (c) is currently connected to the North Andover public
water service; and, (d) and is walkable to recreational and other amenities, as well as
employment opportunities, in a manner which aligns well with the Town's regulatory and other
constraints for a Project which is a textbook example of a smart growth location. These
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Project features are also consistent with the Town of North Andover Master Plan Land Use Goal
#1 which is to "focus new development in locations currently served by adequate public
infrastructure that encourages the reuse or redevelopment of existing buildings or land." See
North Andover Master Plan, at p. 34.
A summary and tabulation of the proposed building program and unit mix for the Project is below:
Building Program*
Buildings Gross SF # of Rental Studio Units 1BR Units 2 BR Units 3BR Units
Building Area Units
Building One 157,715 150 22 69 43 16
Building Two 158,738 146 25 50 56 15
Total 316,453 296 47 119 99 31
Unit Mix(%) 16% 40% 33% 10%
*The Site is 6.13 acres(267,063 square feet)as shown as Lot 3 on a subdivision plan entitled"Subdivision Plan,East Mill,1 High Street&
0 Prescott Street,North Andover,Essex County,MA 01845,"prepared by Design Consultants,Inc.,and as depicted on the Town of North
Andover Assessors Map 68,Lot 10,(Parcel ID No.068.0-0010-0000.0),along with and subject to existing rights for parking,access and
related improvements on or adjacent to the Site.
The unit mix and sizes are as follows, along with the proposed affordable rents which are based on
2025 HUD income and rents:
Proposed Unit Sizes and Rents
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Income Limit* Bedrooms Baths #Units Sq. Ft. Gross Rent UA Net Rent Rent/Sq.Ft.
80% Studio 1 12 522 $1,823 $239 $1,584 $3.03
80% One 1 31 780 $1,954 $311 $1,643 $2.11
80%. Two 2 23. 997 $2,345 $405 $1,940 $1.95
80% Three 2 8 1,447 $2,709 $508 $2,201 $1.52
Market Studio 1 37 522 $2,300 $2,300 $4.41 l
Market One 1 92 780 $2,650 $2,650 $3.40
Market Two 2 70. 997 $3,250 $3,250 $3.26
Market Three 2 23 1,447 $4,200 $4,200 $3.66
Total 296
*All affordable units will be affordable at or below 80% of area median income (AMI).
The Project is to be constructed inaccordancewithasetof preliminary civil engineering plans,consisting
of eighteen (18) sheets, entitled, "Zero Prescott, 0 Prescott Street, North Andover, MA" dated October
21, 2025, prepared by Civil Design Group, Inc. (the "Civil Plans").
The architectural, design, layout and elevations for Zero Prescott are shown on a set of plans,
consisting of eighteen (18) sheets, entitled "Zero Prescott, 0 Prescott Street, North Andover, MA,"
dated October 21, 2025, prepared by The Architectural Team, Inc. (the "Architectural Plans").
The Project landscape design is depicted on landscape plans, consisting of two (2) sheets, entitled
"Preliminary Landscape Plan, Zero Prescott, 0 Prescott Street, North Andover, MA," dated October 21,
2025, prepared by VERDANT Landscape Architecture, Inc. (the "Landscaping Plan"). The Project
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lighting design is depicted on a lighting plan, consisting of one (1) sheet, entitled "Photometric
Calculation" prepared by Illuminate (the "Lighting Plan"). Collectively, the Civil Plans, Architectural
Plans, Lighting Plan, and Landscaping Plan, the "Site Plans." The Site Plans are attached in Section
W.M.
C. Local Need
Accordingto the latest information obtained from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and
Livable Communities (EOHLC),theTown of North Andover's subsidized housing inventory includes964
Low or Moderate Income Housing units, which is 8.12%, or below the 10%threshold established by
Chapter 40B and 760 CMR 56.00, 56.03(3)(a) (the "Chapter 40B Regulations").
The Project fulfills an important local need for the type of housing proposed, and is consistent with a
number of Town goals and objectives in several important ways. First, since all 296 units would count
toward the Town's SHI, the Project will enable the Town to maintain the state's goal under Chapter
40B such that at least 10 percent of North Andover's year-round housing units are countable on its
Subsidized Housing Inventory while additionally meeting other stated housing goals allowing the Town
to control future housing growth in areas deemed appropriate by the Town. Second, the Project
supports healthy aging in the community by expanding the range of affordable and intergenerational
housing options to enable the potential for persons who grew up in North Andover to remain within,
or to return to, the Town. Third, the Project increases the variety of rental housing options, with
existing water, sewer and electrical utilities available to serve the Site, and being walkable to
Downtown North Andover, recreational amenities, and nearby commercial areas, which promotes
smart growth and results in less dependence on vehicles.
In summary, the Project fulfills a number of important objectives to advance affordable housing goals
in North Andover:
• By developing high quality, sustainable buildings that will provide a healthy and cost-
efficient environment for residents;
• By developing a rental community which provides a much-needed variety of rental housing
options;
• By developinga project which concentrates the development of a multifamily residential
community located within walking distance to commercial, recreational, educational, and
employment opportunities;
• By providing an additional 296 units of SHI eligible housing in an underutilized location with
existing utilities, and by enabling the Town to meet and exceed the 10% affordable housing
threshold and thereby giving the Town the ability to determine and plan future affordable
and other housing projects, whether under Chapter 40B or under other proposals.
D. Proposed Findings of Fact
The Applicant respectfully requests the Zoning Board of Appeals(the "Board" or "ZBA") tomakethe
following proposed findings of fact in connection with this Application:
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1. The Applicant is eligible to receive a Subsidy from a Subsidizing Agency (Federal Home Loan Bank of
Boston's New England Fund (NEF) Program using MassHousing as the Project Administrator) after a
Comprehensive Permit has been issued and which,unless otherwise governed bya federal act or
regulation, complies with the requirements of the Subsidizing Agency (MassHousing) relative to a
reasonable return for the Project;
2. The Project isfundable bya Subsidizing Agencywithin the meaning of Section56.04(1)(b) ofthe
Chapter40B Regulations since the Subsidizing Agency,MassHousing,issued a written Determination
of Project Eligibility undera Low orModerate Income Housing subsidy program;
3. MassHousingwill be the SubsiclizingAgencywithin the meaning of Section 56.02 of the Chapter 40B
Regulations(760 CMR §56.02);
4. The Applicant controls the Site sufficienttoqualifyit as a recipientof a Comprehensive Permitforthis
Project since the Applicant controls the site, based on evidence that the Applicant or a related
entity owns the site as is deemed by the Subsidizing Agency to be sufficient to control the Site as
required under Section 56.04(1)(c)of the Chapter 40B Regulations; and,
5. The Projectas proposed in the Application and othersupporting documentation is "Consistent With
Local Needs" within the meaning of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter40B,Section 20,and
Section 56.02of the Chapter40B Regulations(760CMR §56.02).
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