by David Taber

The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing Wednesday regarding the Somerville Community Corporation’s (SCC) plans to develop mixed income housing and retail space the former site of Saint Polycarp’s Church in Winter Hill.

“The comments were all positive,” said SCC Project Manager, Courtney Koslow.

Susan Mortimer, who has been active in the community planning process for the project, known as the Saint Polycarp Village Development, and attended the zoning board meeting, said one person had some concerns about the traffic the development would generate. “But I think his concerns were allayed,” she said.

The SCC purchased the property on the corner of Mystic Avenue and Temple Streets from the Archdiocese of Boston a year ago, and, if all goes well, they hope to begin construction this fall, Koslow said.

The plan calls for the construction of an apartment building containing 24 affordable housing units and 6,000 square feet of commercial space, as well as 60 other affordable and market rate condominium units. The site will have three discreet open spaces available to residents and community members. And the church and rectory will remain intact.

The church is under purchase agreement by a Nazarene congregation, which is currently renting and renovating it. And the rectory will house the Just A Start housing program, which currently has offices in the former convent on the site, Koslow said.

The plan received approval from the planning board last month, she said, with the caveat that the design of the new construction on the site be modified.

“I think they wanted to see things that reflected the church,” Koslow said.

The Somerville Community Corporation’s CEO, Daniel LeBlanc said architects are working on modifying the design and it will be subject to continued review by community members, the planning board and the Board of Aldermen.

The zoning board held off on final consideration of the project because the planning board had not as of last Wednesday, presented their report, Koslow said. They will consider the matter again on March 21, she said.

But pending their approval, and assuming that they get the funding together, the SCC plans to begin construction on the rental/commercial building next fall, and start on the condominiums in the spring of 2008, she said.

LeBlanc, said they have applied for a grant from the state department of Housing and Urban Development. They will learn if their application was successful in April, he said.

Mortimer, who has lived in the nearby Ten Hills neighborhood since 1978, said that she is thrilled about the plans.

“I usually don’t go out and say wonderful things,” she said.

But she is in support of just about every aspect of the plan, she said.

She said the development of affordable housing options is an important step for maintaining the neighborhood’s character at this point in its history.

“We need affordable housing in Somerville. Since I moved here in 1978 rent has quintupled,” she said.

The Ten Hills and Mystic Avenue neighborhoods are also in desperate need of pedestrian accessible retail and public open space, and the SCC’s plan to combine these three things could go a long way toward revitalizing the area, she said.

“This area is home to people from around the world, but we don’t see much of them and we want to see more,” she said.

The two neighborhoods were divided by the construction of the southernmost section of I-93 in the 1960’s. Three hundred homes and 90 businesses were razed.

Having pedestrian accessible commercial and open space will help reunite them, Mortimer said.

Leonard Paquette, who has lived in the area since 1959, said Mystic Avenue used to have drug stores, bar rooms, and laundries.

“There was all this neat stuff along Mystic Avenue, which is now the highway,” he said.

Paquette said that he was the one who had expressed concerns about the traffic flow at the zoning board meeting.

“My main concern was being able to enter and leave the property and not have people have to go around the world to get out,” he said.

But, Paquette said, those concerns were cleared up. The plan includes entrances and egresses on both Mystic Avenue and Memorial Streets.

He said he also recommended that, in addition to signage admonishing drivers not to turn left exiting onto Mystic Avenue, a barrier be placed in the road to make left turns physically impossible. But he was informed that the roadway under the jurisdiction of the state, he said.

Overall, Paquette said, he too supports the plan. “I think it is a viable thing and it would be good,” he said.

LeBlanc said that the SCC has taken particular care to listen to and account for resident’s concerns, and they have even gone out of their way to solicit residents opinions. There were no preexisting organizations representing the entire neighborhood, but thanks to flyering and other outreach efforts, they have had 20 to 80 people at each of their community meetings, he said.

“We take quite a bit of pride in that and we work hard at it,” he said.