Above: Plans are in the works to convert a portion of an office building near Madison Place into a Disability Assistance & Vocational Education facility with some boarding students and staff. (images edited from Town GIS map and project application)
This winter, the Planning Board is holding hearings on a proposed facility in Southborough focused on specialized education “providing life-skills instruction, vocational training, and residential accommodations for individuals with disabilities”.
No, it’s not an expansion of New England Center for Children.
The project is proposed by a recently formed new company, headed by a lifelong Southborough resident, and President of a Southborough based property management/development firm. It is described as a passion project inspired by his and family members’ experiences. (Scroll down for more on that.)
Disability Assistance & Vocational Education, Inc., branded as “DAVE Living”, was founded by Dave Ferris last fall. Ferris is the head of Ferris Development Group that owns the property and office building at 352 Turnpike Rd. In December, a DAVE attorney filed an application to convert part of the top floor of the 3 story building into ” a private school use, with an accessory use of multifamily housing.”
The application describes:
The proposed school will focus on life coaching, job readiness, and reentry into the workforce, while also providing ancillary housing support for participants who may require temporary or transitional accommodation as part of their individualized programs
The project narrative pitches that it is intended to meet a community need:
The Applicant seeks to address a significant gap that exists for individuals who do not thrive in traditional academic or job-training settings. Many disabilities—particularly cognitive, learning-based, processing-related, or social-emotional—are not outwardly visible. As a result, many people who struggle quietly receive limited support, direction, and access to realistic vocational pathways. The proposed program is specifically structured to serve this population through a welcoming, gender-inclusive, skills-focused environment.
Planning members have voiced general support for the project. In a comment to the applicant’s attorney, Planning member Lisa Braccio commended Ferris for pursuing it:
I think this is a really interesting and great project to bring to Southborough. I think there’s a huge need for this.
Normally, the project wouldn’t comply with the allowed zoning uses for the property. (The parcel is within the Industrial Park zone.) But, under state law, zoning restrictions can’t prohibit educational uses that are protected under the Dover Amendment.
There has been some back and forth with Town Counsel to clarify details for his final opinion. But as of this past Monday night’s Planning Board meeting, the board was under the impression the proposed use is Dover protected.
The application seeks Major Site Plan approval to use approx 17,430 sq ft of the 3rd floor for DAVE Living for:
classrooms, training areas, counseling offices, and supportive service spaces that promote educational advancement and personal growth.
It will also include the “ancillary use” of:
up to 31 beds to support students who will reside on-site as part of a structured, full-time program.
The proposal details 17 one-bedroom units, 4 two-bedroom units, and 2 three-bedroom units. Attorney George Bahnan told the board that the housing for each student would be temporary with varying lengths of time. (They will only live there while they are active members of the program.)
The board and developer are still hashing through some details, but it appears to be on track for approval. The Board of Health confirmed that the existing septic system meets the capacity requirements.
Planning is still waiting to hear back from the Building Commissioner about parking, but the developer’s plans pitch that the number of spots on the site is about 30% more than required for the combined individual uses at the site. Vice Chair Marnie Hoolahan asked for an updated lighting plan to protect safety of future residents using the building 24×7.
The Board also wants to look into whether the EOHLC (Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities) will count the housing units towards the Town’s Affordable Housing Inventory. (The inventory is used to calculate whether the Town has “safe harbor” from unwanted 40B housing projects.)
DAVE Living Explanation
The submitted Site Plan Narrative described Ferris’ motivation for the project:
Mr. Ferris is a lifelong Southborough resident who attended Neary, Trottier, and Algonquin Regional High School. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, at a time when learning disabilities were far less understood and less supported within the public school system. His experiences navigating traditional educational pathways—together with the challenges faced by close family members, including an aunt and uncle with significant disabilities—have shaped his longstanding commitment to assisting individuals with learning and functional impairments, many of which are not readily apparent to the broader community.
For many years, Mr. Ferris has advanced this mission through the Ferris Family Foundation, which focuses on supporting young people with learning differences and related disabilities. The proposed nonprofit program—Disability Assistance & Vocational Education, Inc. (“DAVE Living”) — is a natural extension of that work. It has been developed to provide individuals with disabilities, learning challenges, or life-circumstance-based barriers a pathway toward independence, workforce participation, and long-term self-sufficiency.
You can view the full hearing materials here.
The Planning Board will resume its hearing on the project on February 23rd at 6:45 pm.
