A proposal for mixed-use Village District development on one of Weston’s central four corners is now a formal application to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

A public hearing, delayed from P&Z’s December meeting, is now set for Monday evening, January 6. A non-binding pre-application discussion occurred on July 1.

The property in question, denoted with a star on the aerial photo above, is at 176 Weston Road, next to St. Francis Church and across the street from the Jarvis House where Parks and Recreation has offices.

The two-acre parcel is currently owned by the Norfield Congregational Church Society, but Peter Greenberg of Able Construction told P&Z commissioners on July 1 that he has a purchase and sale agreement, conditioned on local approval of his plan.

Mr. Greenberg proposes to transform the property into a blend of residential and retail units. That concept is consistent with Village District zoning regulations established in 2021, but some specifications in Mr. Greenberg’s application are not.

If commissioners are to approve the plan, they will have to agree to Mr. Greenberg’s proposed zoning amendments: raising the allowable number of bedrooms in a unit from two to three and increasing the maximum square footage of a unit from 1,200 to 1,800.

The application also proposes revising the minimum setback for off-street parking and loading when an adjoining property is not a single-family residence, reducing (at the commission’s discretion) the minimum from 50 feet to ten feet.

The plan

Christopher Pagliaro conceptual design detail

As presented in July, the plan would use the existing two-story house on the property for retail space or a cafe. The ground level of newly built two-story structures would contain about 6,500 square feet of retail space. The upper level would have six two-bedroom apartments, seven one-bedrooms, and 10 three-bedroom units.

The January 6 P&Z hearing will take place at 7:15 pm. Normally, the commission meets in the Annex conference room, but we expect this session will be held in a larger space, possibly the Town Hall Meeting Room.

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