FALL RIVER \u2014 A vacant lot on Highland Avenue ringed with chain link that some claim has a house-sized crater from a previous demolition might be getting a makeover \u2014 but it’s unclear whether it will be a single-family home like the rest of its neighborhood and the city\u2019s zoning district.<\/p>\n
Dr. Rajiv Nehra, a chiropractor, is seeking to build a medical office steps away from Charlton Memorial Hospital<\/a>, where he aims to run a practice with his son.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nehra, who owns the property at 547 Highland Ave., had plans to build a medical campus there, which were paused in 2015.<\/p>\n Currently, Nehra operates the Fall River Spine and Disc Center<\/a> at 415 Elsbree St. after an unexpected property sale of the center\u2019s former location on Hanover Street sent Nehra on the hunt for new office space. His plans for the lot include a two-and-a-half story, 7,500-square-foot medical campus on an acre of land.\u00a0<\/p>\n 14 new apartments coming: <\/strong>Flint building vacant for over 2 decades is getting new life<\/a><\/p>\n What would the medical building plans look like?<\/p>\n At an Aug. 21 meeting, Nehra sought a variance from the Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals<\/a> to convert his lot to medical offices, waiving lot coverage requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n All off-street parking requirements would be met, and the parking lot is designed on the east side of the lot behind the building and opposite Highland Avenue, in consideration of the aesthetic values of the neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n The office space would offer a spate of medical services, including chiropractic, massage, neuromuscular, skeletal rehabilitation, nutrition and general wellness services. It would operate Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.<\/p>\n Citing pushback from neighbors whose concerns of a \u201cmedial campus\u201d in the heart of the Highlands historic neighborhood, the zoning board tabled the matter until the Sept. 18 meeting, with Nehra agreeing to work with his engineer and architect to be more conservative in the size of the building, and to update his needs for adequate business signage.\u00a0<\/p>\n The number of proposed employees, which was proposed at six practitioners, will need to be accounted for in future planning.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be a good neighbor,\u201d he told members of the board.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n All aboard: <\/strong>This group is pushing for rail service connecting Aquidneck Island. How it could happen<\/a><\/p>\n Decade-old petition resurfaces with updated plans<\/p>\n Attorney Peter A. Saulino, who represented the petition at the August meeting, said a similar petition for the same address was heard and approved by the board in 2015. A site plan review was completed before demolition of a pre-existing house took place, said Saulino, but he added that the city\u2019s Director of Inspectional Services Glenn Hathaway has not yet conveyed that the decade-old approval is valid.<\/p>\n \u201cThe timing was the issue,\u201d said Saulino, referencing the sale of the Hanover Building that landed Nehra with an eviction notice and 30 days to vacate his office. Nehra had purchased space on Elsbree Street to house his offices in the interim.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, after 25 years serving Fall River and with the prospect of entering into a practice with his son, who is due to graduate from medical school this coming fall, Nehra is \u201cin a little bit of a different situation,\u201d Saulino said.<\/p>\n Nehra has tried to sell the Highland Avenue property for eight years but has received no offers for single-family home dwellings, Saulino added, evidencing a hardship associated with the property, despite its location in a single-family zoning district.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unequivocal that it\u2019s four or five addresses from the hospital,\u201d said Saulino, calling the build, that has gained a letter of support from Bristol County Economic Development Consultants<\/a> Executive Vice President Ken Fiola, \u201ccomplementary\u201d to the area.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in the new plan?<\/p>\n Nehra addressed the board by saying that the office footprint of 3,545 square feet has shrunk in size.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to be very sensitive to the neighbors,\u201d Nehra said, citing the change from having side and front parking lots to pushing the parking to the back of the almost three-story building, mostly hidden from view of the street.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nehra said the fa\u00e7ade of the building \u201cis very consistent\u201d with the historic character of neighboring homes, and that he intends for the build to be \u201csynergistic\u201d and \u201charmonious\u201d with the Highland community, or a future \u201cmedical health district,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Abutters resist \u2018huge\u2019 build in historic neighborhood<\/p>\n