Community Real Estate

Residents Association Votes to Support State Ruling Preventing Lewis Wharf Hotel Development

In a vote of 36-1, the North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) voted to support the recent Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) report that pilings underwater at high tide cannot be built upon. The DEP report is currently in a comment period until November 21st, after which a final determination will be made.

If the DEP report stands, the proposed Lewis Wharf hotel project by JW Capital Partners and contractor John Moriarty & Associates would be severely impacted, if not completely made impossible, by the reduced area that could be built over the water.

The ruling would also set a statewide precedent regarding building over dilapidated piling fields, implying that areas cannot be built on where the pilings are under water during at high tide.

Representatives from the “Save Our North End Waterfront” group are seeking community support regarding the DEP report to stop the hotel project. SONEW said they would rather a smaller scale, water-dependent project to go in the space at the end of Lewis Wharf. Notably, the DEP ruling does not impact what the property owner can do on the parking lot or other surrounding land areas.

View the above video for the full presentation, pictures and discussion at NEWRA’s November 10, 2016 meeting.