Weymouth Zoning Board Closes Jackson Square Hearing, Eyes December 13 Decision

WEYMOUTH -- December 6, 2023, Weymouth's zoning board closed the Jackson Square redevelopment public hearing and will issue a decision December 13. The board heard final presentations Wednesday on cases 3511 through 3514, covering four buildings with 200 residential units and ground-floor commercial space in lower Jackson Square. Attorney Edward Fleming told the board revised plans relocate Building A's garage entrance to align with Building B's access drive, add 19 sub-basement parking spaces to Building B, and reduce Building C from five to four stories, bringing the project to full on-site parking compliance at 287 spaces against a required 286. Traffic engineer Bill Scully of Kimley-Horn estimated peak weekday traffic generation at under 200 vehicle trips, with roadway mitigation costs in the range of $3 million. A resident, Donald Rafferty, challenged the methodology, saying he personally counted 158 vehicles at the Level Field driveway in 35 minutes during a school drop-off period, well above the study's estimates. The board also continued a variance request for a proposed Gardner School daycare at 739 Pleasant Street to December 13, pending left-turn lane design plans for the Pleasant Street and Mutton Lane intersection.