Zoning Board Approves Brookview Village 40B
The Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3 to 2 to approve the 225 apartment complex Tuesday night.
Photos
In a vote that split the Zoning Board of Appeals 3 to 2, the "Brookview Village" 40B apartment complex was voted through Tuesday night pending approval of conditions.
“We have to have another meeting where we will work on the conditions because there are going to be a lot of them," said Board Chairman James Natale.
The vote gives the go ahead to 225 apartment units that will be placed off of Ames Street in an area in the middle of industrial and commercial developments that had previously been zoned commercial. It is being developed by the Gutierrez Company.
Bill Caulder, from Gutierrez, stated that the company would be looking to develop the adjacent property into commercial and retail.
The vote occured with ZBA members Lynn Faust and Robert Page asking for additional time to process nearly two hours of presentations regarding the city's residential, housing and economic position. There was no discussion after the decision to take a vote was made.
Receive updates to this story and other breaking news in your inbox or smartphone by signing up for our newsletter here
Following the vote, Faust said that she did not feel the figure of $675,000 for mitigation. This works out to roughly $3,000 per unit.
City Council President Patricia Pope reiterated a request by herself, Mayor Arthur Vigeant and City Councilor Joseph Delano to have the mitigation money set aside in a specific fund rather than be allotted out to specific departments.
"It is our hope that instead of spreading small amounts of money around we can do some good things," said Pope.
The ZBA will meet after the holidays to discuss the conditions of the approval.
Paul Doucette
6:25 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
225 apartments? Sucking the life out of the City
Brian
6:49 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I hope everyone mentioned in this article gets voted out next election. This is such a horrible idea and a bad thing for the city. Instead of slum apartments in an already overcrowded school district, the city should be trying to attract retail/restaurants to that area to service the 1000+ workers who will be new to Marlborough and creating jobs and tax revenue.The Hannafords plaza area is already packed 11-2 so any new businesses with a sound plan would do well. TJX employees are already grumbling about the lack of places to congregate.
SSmith
7:18 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I do hope that the next project approved is a new elementary school as the school that services that area of the city is already overcrowded.
Paul Doucette
7:27 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Overcrowded or invaded?
arnold
11:14 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The $675k "mitigation" extortion or bride would be more accurate. Regardless, it is chump change when the added cost for schools and city services start rolling in. Maybe it can be put toward that other boondoggle: the new Senior center.
Damon Michaels
11:29 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
It sure would have been nice if more people who opposed this would have showed up. I did. It was interesting.
c17a3
2:28 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The mayor, city councilors, & the zoning board give the green light to building 225 apartments in an area not zoned residential just doesn't make any sense to me. Go to any surounding town below 10% affordable housing and they cringe when projects like this come to their towns. Marlborough did not have to agree to this why? What's the upside to adding 225 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. I guess you just vote them out next election cycle.
Ginny Dwyer
7:10 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
It's a horrible decision. I will remember it at the next election and those who voted for it will not get my vote.
Rob Dwyer
8:43 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
so now we must build another school to support this invasion, brilliant idea, the city gets a little tax money to waste and we get and we get screwed.
Brian
9:40 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I unfortunately can't attend due to my work schedule, but is there no opposition at these meetings? Is the city this out of touch with its citizens? I wish I knew my options as a resident (other than moving).
Rick Jenkins
8:28 am on Thursday, December 6, 2012
The city council did not get to vote on this issue because the developer went 40b and by law it goes straight to ZBA. The ZBA members are not elected into office and therefore do not have the pressures on them as elected officials who actually represent their wards and the public at large. Many city councilors including myself did to some meetings if not all and are on record as opposing this project. Unfortunately the ZBA has a record of approving everything coming across its desk. They have just given up valuable commercial and industrial land for residential housing creating more spot zoning. Thanks ZBA! I applaud the two members that asked to get all the facts before making a decision.
c17a3
3:37 pm on Thursday, December 6, 2012
Well if the ZBA members are not elected then who appointed them? The mayor gave it the thumbs up before the ZBA members voted...something smells.