HAVERHILL — On Dec. 9, 2025, the Haverhill City Council continued a special permit hearing for a mixed-use development proposal at 233 Winter Street, which includes a ground-floor Latino grocery store and 10 apartments above.
Attorney Paul Magliocchetti, representing 233 Winter Street LLC, the principals of which are Juan Zapeda, his wife, and their children, told councilors the proposal stems from a previously approved plan for a single-story grocery store that later evolved due to construction and financing challenges.
“He actually applied to just build a grocery store, single story grocery store on the site, where they were fully permitted when they began construction,” Magliocchetti said, explaining that boulders discovered underground during construction greatly increased the cost and prompted the addition of apartments to increase cash flow.
Magliocchetti said the project was delayed for several months because the city’s zoning ordinance did not initially allow mixed-use development in commercial areas, an omission he described as an “oversight.” During that delay, some interior work was completed without the proper permits; however, he said the issue was immediately corrected once it was identified by building inspectors.
“He immediately ripped out the work at great expense to himself, and he is in full compliance,” Magliocchetti told the council. “It was never his intention to go above and beyond.”
The proposal calls for 10 apartments — eight two-bedroom units and two one-bedroom units — above a Latino grocery market, which Magliocchetti described as a community need.
“We talk about it all the time,” Magliocchetti said. “We need more housing. We need more housing. And these 10 units on Winter Street, I think that this neighborhood in particular would really benefit from having this kind of project. I mean the store itself is going to be a Latino market, a legitimate Latino market, which is something we just don’t have.”
Magliocchetti said the applicant will comply with the city’s affordable housing requirement by either designating one of the 10 apartment units as affordable or contributing to the city’s housing fund, rather than seeking a waiver.
Council Vice President Timothy Jordan questioned claims that the proposed development would be fiscally neutral, saying he did not believe tax revenue would match or exceed the cost of city services resulting from the project. He also challenged assumptions in a fiscal impact analysis presented earlier in the meeting that estimated fewer than one child per unit, calling that estimate “really, really low.” Councilor Ralph Basiliere said he shared Jordan’s concerns.
Before taking a formal vote on the special permit, the council adopted several motions addressing conditions and revisions to the proposal.
Councilors first approved a modification to the residential unit mix. A motion by Councilor John Michitson, seconded by Councilor Basiliere, reconfigured the project from eight two-bedroom units and two one-bedroom units to six two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units, while keeping the total number of apartments at 10. The motion passed on a 9–1–1 roll-call vote, with Councilor Shaun Toohey voting no and one councilor absent.
Councilors also discussed and confirmed several project conditions, including trash pickup frequency, a snow-removal plan requiring snow to be removed off site, and compliance with occupancy permit requirements.
A second motion, introduced by Council Vice President Timothy Jordan, requiring that one residential unit be designated as affordable housing rather than allowing a payment into the city’s housing trust fund, passed unanimously on a 10–0-1 vote, with one councilor absent.
After passing the motions, the council moved forward to a final roll-call vote on the special permit as amended, approving the project with conditions. Councilors voted 10–0–1 in favor of granting the special permit for the mixed-use development, which includes a ground-floor Latino grocery store and 10 residential units above.
