A public hearing was held right before the company filed its plans and the biggest concern was the increase in traffic. The project requires a site plan review which looks at traffic, parking, landscaping, lighting and architectural compatibility. The project, which would be one of the city's largest if approved, does not need zoning relief because industrial zoning in Everett allows multifamily development.

According to Debski, this site had been identified in a study commissioned by the city as an area with the potential for redevelopment. The property currently consists of an old factory on brownfields which the developer will be required to clean up. Debski says the city wanted to see housing on the site because of its proximity to the River's Edge project. She notes that the city was trying to get developers interested in the site but no one wanted to get involved. The city had even proposed developing two parks in the area--one seven-acre park and a one-acre park.

But after RCG bought the site, the firm approached the city with its condo plan. Interestingly, while Debski acknowledges that that the density of RCG's proposal is of some concern, the firm is not proposing to build out to its full capacity. By right, the site can accommodate up to 400 units. HC Bailly, principal of RCG, tells GlobeSt.com that the firm knew the higher density would create more of an uproar and they felt they had to compromise between what is financially viable and palatable to the community. Bailly also points out that the site's cleanup will cost at least $1 million and those costs needed to be amortized as well.