Above: The state is helping the Town fund replacing a water main prone to leaks and breaks as part of its support for more housing in Massachusetts, including a 60 unit on the southside of town. (images cropped from DPW Facebook post)
The state finally announced awards that were approved this fiscal year to communities under their “One Stop” process for applying for grants. It includes our Town’s first somewhat big one.
A press release from Governor Healey’s office touts “$54 Million for Economic Development and Housing Projects in Central Mass”. $1.1M of that will go to Southborough to support replacing a problematic water main on Southville Road.
The Town’s pitch to the state appears to have included supporting the proposed 60 unit housing development.
I’ll be posting separately about the other grant, $77K, to continue pursuing the Wayfinding project. Previously, the Town’s only successful application for a One Stop grant was last year’s $30K grant for the Wayfinding.
The state’s website summarizes that the $1.1M grant from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program:
will support replacement of approximately 1,300 feet of break-prone water main on Southville Road in Southborough with a new 12-inch ductile-iron main, valves, hydrants, services, and pavement repairs. The project will improve water-system reliability and resiliency while supporting future multifamily development totaling 60 housing units, including 15 affordable units, and associated employment activity.
This spring, the DPW posted on Facebook about a water main break on Southville Road that required an emergency repair:
More on “Apartments at Southville”
The development referred to in the state’s summary of the grant is clearly the concept previewed to the Planning Board last December. Developers proposed building two three story buildings of rental units at 0 Southville Road (parcel 05-0000-008-0).
The project was originally proposed as featuring three story buildings. The developer was forced to change their plans, since the MBTA Zoning bylaw is capped projects at 2½ stories.
There was some initial confusion over erroneous and misleading wording in a table in the bylaw that summarized the restrictions outlined in other language of the bylaw. But the table was fixed by voters in April and ratified by the Attorney General this summer.
The project hasn’t gone back to the Planning Board with an official application. Right now, the developer is in front of the Conservation Commission, seeking a Stormwater Management Permit. Submitted materials show that developers revised the project to feature 2½ story buildings. But those were still described as having 30 units in each.
Freddie Gillespie, an abutter to the project, has been an outspoken opponent of the project. She highlighted to the Planning Board last December that the density on the parcel was greater than what the board told voters would be possible when they approved the Town’s MBTA Zoning bylaw.
The applicant presented the project, now titled “Apartments at Southville” to ConCom at hearings in March and April. In the hearings, Gillespie told Conservation that aspects of the plan were too soon to rule on since it relies on permission from the Planning Board to have parking in front of the building, and would also exceed required setbacks.
The applicant and ConCom both acknowledged that Planning Board decisions will be needed before ConCom can make its decision. But the developer was first seeking to learn more about ConCom’s stance on the riverfront area before submitting an application to Planning.
Gillespie pushed back against an argument by the developer that their proposed layout is the only way to fit in a project as allowed by MBTA Zoning laws. She asserted that the laws clearly require that high density projects can only be built if they also comply with all local and state laws on riverfront, wetland, and zoning requirements.
Since the second night of the hearing, the developer has continually sought and received continuances without publicly presenting anything new.
I reached out to the Town Planner about the status of the application to the Planning Board According to Karina Quinn, she has a meeting scheduled with the developer next week for a “pre-application review”.
