Planning board approves 160-unit North Canal redevelopment at Moody Street with conditions

The Lowell Planning Board on Thursday approved a site plan to redevelop properties at 463 and 281 Moody Street into 160 units of affordable housing, increasing the previously existing inventory from roughly 116 units. The board voted 5–0 to approve the phased project, which includes a 100‑unit, senior‑restricted building and a 60‑unit family building, after the applicant agreed to several conditions.

Attorney Catherine Flood, representing New North Canal LLC, described the goal as modernizing two aging affordable-housing sites and adding 44 units to meet state and city housing goals. "My client intends to redevelop the properties currently consisting of a 116 affordable units into a 160 affordable units," Flood told the board.

The project team said the design emphasizes durability and energy performance. Michelle Piggy of Icon Architecture described a masonry base with lighter cladding above, a community building, and open green space along the canal. "The intention between the 2 sites ... is to have 100 units" on the senior site, Piggy said, noting accessible community amenities and on‑site supportive services.

Brian Goodrow of Hancock Associates outlined engineering measures, including an underground infiltration system to treat stormwater and ties to the separated sewer on James Street. He told the board the team had coordinated with the fire department on access and had performed swept‑path analyses to accommodate emergency apparatus.

Tenants and community partners urged approval. Jaime Alacaccaro, president of the North Canal tenants council, said residents worked closely with the Coalition for a Better Acre and the development team and supported the plan. "Dignity for the residents through quality housing shaped by resident input," Alacaccaro said, asking the board to approve the site plan.

Board members supported the redevelopment while pressing for specific safeguards. Concerns raised included canal‑edge safety (guardrails and sight lines), how snow storage would be handled so sidewalks remain passable, parking shortfalls, and a transportation strategy for residents. One board member noted that, by his calculation, required parking could be roughly 320 spaces and said the approved configuration would be a small fraction of that number.

To address those issues, the motion to approve — which passed unanimously — attached conditions that mirror staff recommendations and board requests: the applicant must provide a transportation‑demand‑management (TDM) plan that identifies a transportation coordinator and materials to inform tenants about transit options; provide secure, weather‑protected bicycle parking; design a buffer/walkway along the canal that addresses public safety; ensure on‑site snow storage will not impede vehicle sight lines and that pedestrian routes remain clear; and continue coordination with the city engineer and the city’s wastewater/stormwater teams.

Dan Rivera, executive director of the Coalition for a Better Acre, said the tenant relocation process will be handled under state relocation rules with a consultant and that moving and storage costs for residents would be covered during phased redevelopment. The applicant said a funding application could put shovels in the ground by 2028, with Phase 1 and Phase 2 construction lasting about 18–24 months.

The board’s approval is a site‑plan decision; the project team noted the redevelopment will also require historic‑district review and continued permitting as the phases advance. The planning board reserved technical follow‑up to ensure conditions are met before construction permits are issued.