Micro-apartments are gaining acceptance in nearby Boston and in places such as San Francisco and New York, but Weymouth, Mass., officials and neighbors were not receptive to a proposal for tiny dwellings this summer.
“This is Weymouth, not Boston,” said the owner of a hair salon near the proposed apartment project. She opposed the Weymouth micro-unit plan, as did the East Weymouth Neighborhood Association and two town councilors.
Most neighbors viewed the proposal as a rooming house because of the planned 19 units of about 300 sf, and were worried about added traffic in an already congested area.
“Generally the comments from the public were not positive,” Weymouth town planner Abby McCabe told the Boston Globe. The town’s Board of Zoning Appeals was concerned that the overall project was too large for the site, but took no position on the micro-unit aspect of it, McCabe said.
The developer has decided to scrap the concept for 15 more conventionally sized, but still small, units—most ranging from 430 sf to 460 sf. This is an indication that tiny apartments might find an inhospitable reception outside of the large urban hubs that have embraced them as affordable options for young professionals.
Related Stories
| Sep 26, 2013
A primer on RoofPoint green-rating system for commercial roofs
The RoofPoint green-rating system can be used to construct more energy-efficient and sustainable commercial roofs.
| Sep 26, 2013
ConsensusDocs releases updated federal subcontract to help construction firms perform federal work
The newly revised ConsensusDocs standard subcontract (ConsensusDocs 752 for federal work) will make it easier for general contractors and subcontractors to perform federal work.
| Sep 18, 2013
Proposed Boston casino development approval will depend partly on sustainability
The movement toward green building has been slow to catch on in the casino industry, but that could change with Suffolk Downs, which plans to build a $1 billion casino in Boston.
| Sep 18, 2013
Regulations could ease firefighters’ fear of roof solar panels
The local fire chief says solar panels are partly to blame after a 300,000 sf refrigerated warehouse in Delanco, N.J., burned down.
| Sep 18, 2013
New AISC design guide on structural stainless steel now available
For the first time in the U.S., design professionals now have an authoritative resource on structural stainless steel with AISC Steel Design Guide No. 27, Structural Stainless Steel.
| Sep 18, 2013
DBIA’s ‘Design-Build Done Right’ best practices project seeks industry input
The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) is seeking industry input on its project to create a design-build best practices document.
| Sep 11, 2013
USGBC Florida Chapter survey to help contractors adopt sustainable practices
Contractors in Florida could benefit from a data collection project by the state's chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.
| Sep 11, 2013
Disability, vet hiring standards for contractors are goals, not quotas
Contractors that fall short of new federal hiring rules concerning veterans and disabled persons will not necessarily incur penalties, says Patricia Shiu, director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
| Sep 11, 2013
Sports stadium accidents suggest code updates may be necessary to prevent falls
Since 2000, at least three individuals have died as a result of falling from the upper decks of stadiums in the United States. In addition, eight non-fatal falls have occurred in stadiums and arenas over that time.
| Sep 11, 2013
White paper examines Joint Commission requirements for NFPA codes in healthcare
The healthcare industry has experienced great attention from The Joint Commission concerning fire and life safety issues.