Greetings to all!
We hope you had a restful summer. Reading Votes intends to pick up the frequency of communications now that it’s fall.
To start, here’s a notable building application you should weigh in on if you have an opinion.
Please email CPDC (cpdc@ci.reading.ma.us) or attend the upcoming meeting on Monday, September 8th.
Details are here: https://www.readingma.gov/707/CPDC-Upcoming-Meeting-Information
Primrose Schools, a national system of accredited preschools, applied to the Community Planning & Development Commission (CPDC) to construct a new childcare facility at 885 Main St. This would require demolition of the current structure(s) on the property. The proposal also calls for a capacity of 175 children, 26 staffers, and a director.
The parcel has 80 feet of frontage on Main Street; the lot outline expands as you move to the east, and borders substantial wetlands that occupy about 35% of the lot. Primrose seeks a variance for the 80′ of frontage, less than Reading’s required 100′. The resulting parcel takes up almost all of the non-wetlands area for a proposed parking lot, a two-story building, and a play area. CPDC had requested earlier changes to parking to comply with Reading’s building codes, among other requests.
The location of the property adjacent to Route 28, with the prospect of 150+ cars queuing up to enter the parking lot, and safety considerations of drop-offs and pick-ups, have been points of discussion. Another has been the desire of CPDC to see a safety plan addressing relocation of 150+ young children during an emergency. Reading Fire and Police have provided letters detailing their concerns and responses to proposed changes to mitigate them.
Primrose is scheduled to go before CPDC again in their September 8th meeting at 7:00 pm.
Meeting details, as well as Primrose site plans and other details, are here.