A new life: Former St. Francis Xavier rectory in Weymouth to become housing

WEYMOUTH − A Weymouth developer has received approval to convert the former St. Francis Xavier Parish rectory into housing units and then build 14 single-family homes next door.

The developer, Ken Ryder, has already moved the rectory building to the lot at 247 Pleasant St. He plans to convert it into up to six residential units, possibly for adults with autism.

He will then build 14 single-family homes where the rectory stood. The zoning board issued a special permit for the project last week.

In 2018, the Boston archdiocese said it wanted to lease the land at 247-261 Pleasant St. for development.

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The property is just north of St. Francis Xavier Parish on Pleasant Street and includes a half-acre lot at 247 Pleasant St. and 2.2 acres with a 5,500-square-foot building – which served as a rectory building and a CCD office – at 261 Pleasant St.

The archdiocese couldn't find a developer to lease the land, and Ryder bought the property in January. Ryder said he held two neighborhood meetings to hear from residents, who said they preferred single-family homes over multifamily housing on the property.

Ryder agreed to nearly a dozen modifications to the original plan, including moving the houses closer to Pleasant Street and facing them toward the street, moving the parking to behind the rectory, and adding fencing and lighting along Pleasant Street.

"I appreciate the willingness of the applicant to work with staff and the board to achieve what I think is a great-looking plan," Eric Schneider, the town's principal planner, said. "I think it's a good plan for that site."

In other business, the zoning board started a public hearing on developer Michael Grehan's proposal to build a dozen townhouse condos on a vacant lot at 158 Park Avenue West. The lot is contaminated due to previous uses as a gas station and a dry cleaner. The project requires a special permit from the board.

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In addition to a dozen two-bedroom, 790-square-foot apartments split into three buildings, Grehan is proposing 26 parking spaces. The 33,000-square-foot site is near the busy intersection of Park Avenue West and Columbian Street.

Planning Director Robert Luongo said it's a challenging site, and he wouldn't recommend any more than nine units. He said the proposed units are small, which tends to lead to a lot of turnover.

"The vision for this area is not to introduce rental into this residential neighborhood," he said. "I'd like to see if the developer would shrink the number of units and make them a little bit larger. ... The character of the neighborhood is at stake here."

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Several residents expressed concern about traffic in the area, potential environmental impacts on wetlands and the nearby Mill River and water runoff from the property caused by drainage issues. The project will also need the conservation commission's approval.

The zoning board will continue its public hearing on the project Jan. 4.

The town is not issuing building permits for multifamily housing while the town council and the planning board consider a citizens' petition proposing an 18-month moratorium on construction of three or more units.

The petition says the town is trending too close to its allowed water use and the 18-month moratorium would allow the town to conduct a water study and develop short- and long-term solutions.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Redevelopment of former St. Francis Xavier Parish rectory approved