Developer pitches zoning change to allow a retail project on old EMC parcel

Above: Leading up to the Fall Town Meeting, the Planning Board will hold hearings on a proposed zoning change that would provide a path for a retail project off of Route 9 in the Industrial Park zone. (image cropped from presentation)

This past winter, a developer purchased about 30 acres of the old Dell/EMC property parcels off of Route 9. Now they are seeking to work with the Town on zoning changes to allow an economically viable project that fits with the community’s vision.

The developer attended the Select Board meeting on Tuesday night for a joint discussion with the Planning Board.

The proposal by Framingham based Atlantic Management would add a defined use within Southborough’s Industrial Park (IP) zone. The definition for “Highway Major Retail” would allow:

A large format, single tenant (including affiliates of the principal tenant) retail sales and services facility containing no less than 50,000 gross square feet devoted to the sale to an end user of traditional and customary grocery store items that contain a range of food products that are fresh, packaged or prepared (excluding storage) and also including but not be limited to, sales and services of the following: household goods, optical, pharmacy, liquor, automotive parts, food service and fueling stations

There are restrictions for what parcels are eligible within the zone. And under the developer’s proposal, the use would require a special permit through the Planning Board. (You can see the full draft language here.)

Although both of Atlantic Management’s parcels are in the IP zone, the developer has clarified that it is seeking the use for the 11.6 acre parcel at 21 Coslin Drive. (No mention was made of the plans for the abutting 19.76 acre property at 32 Coslin Drive, nor if they are exploring purchasing additional EMC properties.)

The presenters’ intent on Tuesday night was a “high level” discussion. More details and scrutiny will wait for future public hearings to be held by the Planning Board. (The Select Board voted to refer the proposed zoning changes to the Planning Board.)

Attorney Robert Buckley of Riemer Braunstein spoke on behalf of Atlantic Management. Much of the presentation focused on the developer’s track record for working collaboratively with communities. He asserted that Atlantic Management:

is probably the one of the premier developers of taking property that hereto may have seen its better days, turning it around and making it very productive very quickly. They have this unyielding passion of working with the community to make difficult situations appear solvable

Buckley pointed to successes in Marlborough and Westborough that increased revenues for those towns by millions of dollars. Those were the Marlborough Hills mixed use project (on 110 acres) and Amazon Robotics mixed use project on Otis Street (104 acres). (See images below for more detail)

Buckley explained that in looking at how to best use the Southborough property, the management team all read through the Town’s Master Plan written in 2021 which outlined the vision the community has for its future.

He highlighted that the plan describes the Route 9 Corridor as “the preferred focus of industry and commerce because of its easy transportation access and because it is relatively separated from residential areas of Southborough.” He also highlighted relevant goals and recommendations from the plan:

• Goal: Develop an economically strong, diverse, and self-sustaining business community i.e., an economic engine along the Route 9 corridor
• Recommendations:
  • Increase use-intensity for currently underutilized property parcels
  • Increase commercial tax revenue by reducing office space vacancies and encouraging development on targeted, high-potential sites (such Dell Technologies)
  • Explore the opportunity, in collaboration with the Planning Board (PB), to revise zoning regulations for Route 9, to allow for mixed-use development and taller buildings with the aim of reducing vacancy rate and providing expanded amenities to offices and residents

He followed that proposed zoning change were based on asking themselves:

can we develop a targeted approach to zoning on this corridor on the Dell site that addresses a number of needs that have been articulated and are desirable for the community, while at the same time preserving the control of the relative boards so that they’re the masters of their own destiny?

The Select Board was supportive, with the majority expressing enthusiasm. Members referred to the need to increase the Town’s commercial tax base. Member Al Hamilton, who has urged for making changes to zoning to attract businesses to route 9, called the pitch a “substantial opportunity”. He followed, “I don’t think you’ve asked for enough. But we’ll deal with that later.” He told the developer that the Town has been seeking to bring the residential/commercial tax split back to 80%/20%, where it used to be.

Atlantic Management’s CEO Joseph Zink responded that other communities he’s spoken to with similar splits are struggling with the same issue due to the shrinking need for office space, “and the only way to offset that is to bring in quality commercial development”.

Buckley added:

You need solutions that are reactive and proactive to very dynamic conditions in the economy right now. And you have a very unique opportunity, where you have a blank canvas along Route 9 there.

Planning Chair Meme Luttrell was pleased with the developer’s attention to the Master Plan, noting that she and two other board members contributed to it. Honoring Buckley’s request that detailed questions wait for the public hearings, she quipped:

We look forward to seeing you before the Planning Board and we’ll ask all the nerdy zoning questions then.

You can read the presentation materials from last night’s meeting here. To view the discussion, click here.

The Planning Board will target having the zoning article ready in time for the Fall Special Town Meeting. (That is now scheduled for Monday, October 27th.)

The board has already been working towards updating the Industrial Park zoning, including modernizing the uses. Planning member Marnie Hoolahan has been leading the effort to draft the Article. At Planning’s meeting on Monday night, she pointed out that the board will need to decide whether the developer’s request should be presented as a separate Article or incorporated into the overall IP zoning update.