WORCESTER — The fate of two single-family houses in the Highland Street area that had been eyed for conversion to a college dormitory remains uncertain.
While Becker College announced last week it has halted its plan to lease the two homes and use them as a dormitory for up to 30 students, the owners of the homes have not withdrawn petitions they had filed with the Planning Board for those properties.
The properties that were considered for conversion to dorms are single-family homes at 184 Highland St. and 2 Einhorn Road.
The two adjacent properties are privately owned: Sito and Gido Realty and Property Management LLC is listed as the owner of the home at 2 Einhorn Road, while DE Realty LLC is listed as the owner of 184 Highland St.
The Planning Board was supposed to take up two petitions related to those properties Wednesday night: one seeking approval for more than one building on a lot and another seeking definitive site plan approval.
But when the items came up for consideration, the owners did not request they be withdrawn in light of Becker’s decision.
Instead, the Planning Board was informed by city staff that the petitioners requested that the two items be continued to Sept. 18. No one representing the property owners was present for the meeting.
Becker decided not to pursue plans to lease the two homes for a dormitory after hearing concerns from neighborhood residents and business owners, who thought such a use would dramatically change the character of the neighborhood.
They expressed concerns about the number of students who would live there, the lack of off-street parking and noise that would be generated by the dormitory.
A special permit is needed for dormitory use in a residential area. At its meeting July 29, the Zoning Board of Appeals heard a request by the property owners for such a special permit, and the board ended up continuing the request to its meeting Sept. 9.
At that time, the zoning board was unaware that Becker had already decided to drop the dormitory plan for the two houses.
Late last week, Becker announced it has signed a long-term lease with the new owner of an apartment building at 21 Fruit St. and intends to use it for student housing. The college intends to offer “apartment-style” housing for students in the three-story, 29-unit brick building, as opposed to turning it into a dormitory.
In other business, the Planning Board:
◼ Approved a parking lot plan for three buildings owned by MCPHS University on Lancaster Street that are being converted to student housing.
The buildings, at 7, 11 and 15 Lancaster St., were formerly multifamily homes that had a total of 17 units; they were acquired by MCPHS and are being renovated into a total of 18 two-bedroom apartments housing 36 students. The parking lot plan approved by the Planning Board calls for 17 on-site parking spaces for the residents.
◼ Approved revised parking plans for the new Worcester Polytechnic Institute dormitory under construction off Faraday and Lancaster streets in the Gateway Park area.
The four-story residence hall will have 74 units, consisting of 201 bedrooms with 263 beds.
The new parking plans for the site call for 124 parking spaces; the original plans called for 87 spaces.
Contact Nick Kotsopoulos at nkotsopoulos@telegram.com
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