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Greene Street development has yet to take shape |
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
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BY ABBY FOX Dave and Len Iannuccilli’s vision for transforming a house and a former auto repair shop on Greene Street and into four commercial buildings that could hold quaint businesses such as a bakery, wine shop or cheese shop, complete with an outdoor plaza, has yet to take a definite shape.Applicant Dave Iannuccilli started off last Wednesday’s master plan meeting with the planning board by saying it’s possible that he and Len may work out a deal with the East Greenwich Housing Authority to build one-bedroom age-restricted (elderly) units instead of commercial condos.
Board member Jack Simpson and others asked for clarification on what specifically would go up, to get a feel for what the traffic and parking issues would be, and the Iannuccillis replied that they need flexibility right now, because no business has made a firm reservation and they need to be able to sell what they can, in this deteriorating economy. “We don’t want to embark on a project like this and not have people ready to go in,” he said.Member Bob Holbrook made the point that the if-you-build-it-they-will-come idea may not work, and “What if it doesn’t work out?” he asked. “Can you convert them into offices?”The applicant said they’d like to see businesses such as Greenwich Bay Gourmet move in, but they’re also aware of the reality that prospective businesses may not be able to commit and they may have to fall back on developing office space. “We don’t know until we have a purchase and sales agreement,” David Iannuccilli said.As currently proposed, the development calls for three buildings of some 12,000 square feet at 38 to 48 Greene Street, with parking for 37 cars; approval would mean a change of zone from Commercial Highway to Commercial Downtown. The auto repair shop and garage would be removed, but the house would stay, so three new buildings would be built but there would be four total buildings, at the end.The other topic that weighed down conversation was the town staff’s request in their report to exclude restaurants and other businesses that could generate a lot of traffic.The problem with prohibiting restaurants outright is that the board doesn’t want to inadvertently prohibit small eating places, such as Greenwich Bay Gourmet. There are a million ways to define what a restaurant is, said Chairman Brad Bishop and the board needs to figure out a restriction that serves the neighborhood without shutting out all eating places. The board and Len Iannuccilli went back and forth on the definition of a restaurant, with Iannuccilli saying it’s based on the number of tables in an establishment, and the board quoting the town’s zoning code, which has a much broader definition and doesn’t say anything about table count.In any case, Iannuccilli said, his hope is that small take-out places that make food on the premises would be allowed.These issues, as well as coming up with a sufficient turning radius and emergency access for Olson’s Way to satisfy the police and fire departments, have yet to be resolved.Board members were positive about working out the details, though, with Bishop saying at the end of the meeting that “The project is one of the nicer projects we have before us.”The board and the applicants are meeting again Nov. 19 to continue their conversations. |
