The North End student housing project moved forward this month with the Hanover Zoning Board of Adjustment鈥檚 unanimous Feb. 16 decision to grant a special exception for the 131-unit apartment-style residences located on Lyme Road.
The project goes next to the Hanover Planning Board for site plan review. 天美麻豆 expects to submit an application to the board in the spring.
鈥淲e appreciate the ZBA鈥檚 thorough review of this project,鈥 says , vice president of campus services and institutional projects. 鈥淎s the project has progressed, 天美麻豆 has taken steps to address community feedback while also meeting our institutional priority to create additional housing options for our students.鈥
During the zoning hearings, 天美麻豆 proposed a reduction in the amount of parking at the site鈥攆rom 110 spaces to 25 spaces鈥攁nd shared plans for storm-water management, both of which were influenced by community meetings held this past summer.
As is often the case in zoning decisions, the board鈥檚 approval came with conditions. The conditions include 天美麻豆 making improvements to the multi-use path on Lyme Road to increase safety for the path鈥檚 users; providing additional detail on the shuttle that will serve the new residences; and creating additional plans for pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular safety at the intersection of Lyme Road with Reservoir Road and with North Park Street. 天美麻豆 will continue design and planning work in these areas and return to the ZBA with updated plans, as required by the decision.
鈥淭he conditions align with the safety, usability, and environmental goals 天美麻豆 has intended as foundational for this area of campus,鈥 Keniston says. 鈥淭he North End project will allow us to meet multiple housing needs at 天美麻豆, including expanding options to offer apartment-style student living and to add enough new residential space to allow existing residence halls to be taken offline and renovated over a number of years.鈥
The apartment units are designed to house approximately 400 students and will have an emphasis on gathering spaces throughout the buildings to foster a sense of community. In addition, the buildings have been designed to maximize sustainability and energy efficiency.
Information on the zoning decision and future Planning Board meetings is available .