Council advances Prattville rezoning, rejects R1 upzoning
The Chelsea City Council voted 10-0 to authorize a state 40R application tied to redeveloping the Prattville and Fitzpatrick public housing complexes, then separately rejected 2-6-1 a competing plan to loosen R1 single-family zoning.
City Council · Meeting of April 27, 2026
CHELSEA — The Chelsea City Council voted 10-0 to authorize a state 40R application tied to redeveloping the Prattville and Fitzpatrick public housing complexes, then separately rejected 2-6-1 a competing plan to loosen R1 single-family zoning. Paul Nowicki, executive director of the Chelsea Housing Authority, said Prattville "was built in 1951" with no upgrades since and only two accessible units among 128. The city manager said the 40R designation would unlock roughly $4 million in state infrastructure funding for aging water mains and sidewalks.
Councilor Recupero's rejected R1 amendment, which would have lowered minimum lot sizes from 7,500 to 5,000 square feet, cannot be reconsidered for two years absent a Planning Board recommendation. The council also set a June 8 hearing on taking land by eminent domain at 305 Commandant's Way for the Island End River flood barrier and moved a $272,378,292 fiscal 2027 budget to conference committee.
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Source: the City Council meeting of April 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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