Westborough Woods Decision Filed at Town Clerk's Office

The Westborough Board of Appeals' decision on the Westborough Woods project has been filed at the town clerk's office.

The board filed the decision with Town Clerk Nancy Yendriga last Tuesday, May 21, the day after approving a comprehensive permit for Shrewsbury-based 346 Turnpike Road LLC for the 250-unit project off Route 9 under Chapter 40B, the state's affordable housing law.

A 20-day appeal period now is in effect.

The ZBA had discussed the project since Jan. 14, when it opened a public hearing on the comprehensive permit request. 

The permit allows the developers to build "four new four-story buildings, a new one-story building for a 6,234 square foot clubhouse, and a one story, 5,340 squre foot retail building" on 19.8 acres, the decision notes.

The project includes 250 rental units: 130 one-bedroom, 103 two-bedroom and 17 three-bedroom.

The developer will make 63 of the 250 units affordable, as required under Chapter 40B, the permit notes. The 63 units must break down as follows: 31 one bedroom, 27 two bedroom and five three bedroom.

The developer must get a special permit from the ZBA for the retail building's specific uses, the permit notes.

The permit limits the construction hours to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The board granted 15 waivers, and denied three waiver requests, the permit notes.

The three requests that were denied were: "to permit bank, restaurant, retail sales & services"; "to allow a reduced setback required for ground signs along Route 9 to allow an appropriately placed and sized identification sign for the development upon agreement of the building inspector to confirm sight lines and safety"; and "to allow up to two non-resident employees."

The project will consist of 12 live/work units, with these allowed uses: "business and professional offices, and artist studios such as those for jewelry, graphic arts, photography, interior decorating, picture mounting and framing, personal services such as hair dressers, etc.," the permit notes.

The permit requires the developer to build "a double-barrel divided boulevard style access roadway to the project site from Route 9," as the developed proposed during the public hearing.

The developer must also "identify on the site plan, a location for a potential secondary means of access for emergency vehicles should the Town create such an access at some point after this project has been completed," the permit notes.

The developer also must "extend an emergency driveway to the property line adjacent to the Little League fields located at the Target property and shall install a gated access that could provide a future emergency access between the properties," the permit notes.