Snapshot: Broadstone Beal Street project underway

The four-story, 220-unit Broadstone rental housing development at 230 Beal Street adjacent to Lynch Field and across from Lincoln Plaza got the green light from the Zoning Board of Appeals in June 2017 following a long review process. The project is under construction at this time.

The board voted unanimously to grant a comprehensive permit for the Broadstone Bare Cove Alliance development to be built on the former Hingham Mutual Fire Insurance Company property, which consists of 12 acres.

The state 40 B (comprehensive permit) process allows developers to skirt most local regulations in exchange for a 25 percent affordable housing component -- in this case, 55 units. All of them will count toward the required 10 percent affordable housing threshold mandated by the state because apartments are in such short supply and in such high demand.

In response to concerns expressed at public hearings by town review boards, neighbors, and abutters, the developer downsized the original proposal from 300 units to 220.  Other issues included traffic impacts, the height of the buildings, pedestrian safety, and other potential impacts to the surrounding neighborhood.

Lefthand turns out of the development will be prohibited to discourage cut-through traffic through Lincoln Plaza. Crosswalks will provide safe pedestrian access between Broadstone and Lincoln Plaza and the Hingham Shipyard. There will be a landscaped buffer between Broadstone and the Back River Townhomes.

The plan also calls for 344 on-site parking spaces, 216 of those in sub-grade garages. There will be an additional 128 spaces in parking lots between the development and Lynch Field and Sheltry Path in Bare Cove Park.

Looking back, the selectmen signed a development agreement with Alliance in late 2016 decreasing the number of units to 220, maximum, and including funding from the developer of $1.08 million over time in part for new windows at Plymouth River School, Bare Cove Park upkeep, and for the Hingham Police Department for digital sign trailers in addition to $150,000-worth of new sidewalks and 18 additional parking spaces along Lynch Field.