315-unit housing development proposed for 455 Totten Pond Road

Permit application hearing with Zoning Board of Appeals is on Tuesday, March 4

A proposed multifamily development dubbed “The Residences on Winter” is seeking to add 315 rental units — including 79 deed-restricted affordable housing units —  to the market in Waltham. 

The site for the development is 455 Totten Pond Road, which is currently occupied by the vacant Naked Fish restaurant and Home Suites Inn.

“We see 455 Totten Pond Road as a compelling, well-located multifamily development opportunity through the transformation of an idle parcel of land into much-needed new housing supply. We are committed to working collaboratively with the City of Waltham and local stakeholders through the 40B review process towards the ultimate realization of this project,” Mike Cantalupa, chief development officer at The Davis Companies, shared in a statement to The Waltham Times.

A hearing on the Chapter 40B permit application is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. with the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

The 4.6-acre lot at 455 Totten Pond Road is within Waltham’s Limited Commercial (LC) zoning district, meaning under current zoning policy, multi-family developments are prohibited.

However, the Chapter 40B housing program is a state statute that allows municipal zoning boards to override local zoning laws for housing developments if at least 20% to 25% of the units are allocated as affordable housing units. 

According to the full permit application, filed with the ZBA on Feb. 6, an onsite inspection from MassHousing determined the site is suitable for residential use and The Davis Companies’ proposed development is eligible to qualify for Chapter 40B because of the 79 affordable housing units it would offer.

The development would consist of five stories of residential units and two stories of parking garage. Proposed rents for the development are listed from $2,160 for a studio apartment to $3,097 for a three-bedroom.

Developments like this one are necessary progress toward addressing Waltham’s “housing undersupply,” said Danny Semeniuta, a member of Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods. He said utilizing Chapter 40B expands the possibility of housing development, but he added that it can also be seen as a symptom of what he called Waltham’s “overly strict zoning.”

“Because Waltham does not enable developers to build affordable housing through standard means, they have to short-circuit the city’s rules using a state law,” Semeniuta said.

Boston developers The Davis Companies originally planned to build a life sciences lab and parking lot on the plot of land, according to a Waltham Community Access Channel piece from 2022. During the hearing process, neighbors spoke out against the project due to the proposed size of the building and parking lot.