[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6107753,"mediaKeyId","2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd","parentId",2772808,"title","Special-permit hearing on multiunit redevelopment left in committee after neighbors cite parking, retaining-wall and bedroom-count concerns","audioSeconds",1411,"startMs",5761000,"endMs",4350000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd&start=5761&end=4350","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd/thumbnail_5761000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6107753/Woburn-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Special-permit-hearing-on-multiunit-redevelopment-left-in-committee-after-neighbors-cite-parking-retaining-wall-and-bedroom-count-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107753-b83005a8949c1281b4463f3982bb588b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776686215&Signature=Eea8zAH1Pmkvnjc6lZpUSr3VUQ21xDpw~kp~phAF9kwr2BnuJgwstLnGEL7jcOhOMfrswjDntBpKhTB4qWkS~VnCUCxVdqwOw0dMlUQfhx717lQdse7Vd~P5Xxr44yjObMJjFi0FWeLUHXkdcPw6SpBqCmq29PYNqJyX700M2u26OHzmlvQ1eQKRcJqTd6F282x9Cu3awkT~O-dlhgw0g-jmxQsBRVc0YRiKx68Y4U5HQ~du3~7i-XJB09mIDRfgxO5YUKLEm~MWfNNNB-8zg~QwrS3JH085K29b0b2LbB3nkr8n7RE~k68-pt12QwHaSHeg14fcgYPeFPfgmFnpBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Woburn City, MA","date","2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Woburn Committee on Special Permits heard a contentious application by Tree Top LLC to demolish an existing building and construct a four‑unit rental building. Attorney James Giuliano presented revised plans dated March 17, 2025 and said the proposal reduces the building footprint from the existing structure while adding four dwelling units. Owner Sid Gellock attended and answered questions.

Neighbors focused on three issues: on‑site parking and tandem spaces, a retaining wall the applicant proposes at the rear lot line, and the number of bedrooms per proposed unit. Multiple residents told the committee they fear the project will increase curbside parking pressure, complicate snow removal, and strain emergency access on narrow streets.

Christopher Solvia (13 Bennett Street) and Sasha Hernandez (13 Bennett Street) said the project would reduce usable open space below the minimum typically required in zoning and that the plan as drawn would intensify existing parking stress. A nearby homeowner reported the retaining wall footing shown on the submitted cross‑section appears to encroach and asked for a coordinated construction schedule, temporary fencing and a contract guaranteeing restoration if the work disturbs adjoining yards.

Architect Yale Gatz described the design intent as a smaller, more articulated façade than the current building and said the team had moved parking to the rear to improve the public streetscape. He explained the submitted drawings show pervious paving for much of the parking area and that the applicant intends to address stormwater on‑site. Attorney Giuliano said the basement would not be finished as living space in the present proposal and that any egress windows would require separate permits.

Several council members and the committee chair pressed the applicant to return with a revised layout that limits units to two bedrooms. Committee chair Councilor Marissa Bruin and President Dillon both said they favored 2‑bedroom units to reduce likely vehicle counts and added that several neighbors had asked the developer to scale back the unit count or bedroom mix. The applicant agreed to consider revisions and noted a tradeoff: reducing bedroom counts affects the project’s financial viability.

The committee did not vote to grant the special permit. Instead it left the matter in committee and asked the applicant to consult with neighbors and return with updated plans that address: (1) bedroom count (committee preference for 2‑bedroom units), (2) a construction and demolition sequencing plan filed with the building commissioner, (3) engineering details for the retaining wall and a formal agreement for any work that affects adjacent property, and (4) maintenance specifications for the proposed pervious pavement.

Why this matters: the proposal sits in an older, dense neighborhood where curbside parking and narrow streets already complicate snow removal and emergency access. Neighbors told the committee that addressing retaining‑wall encroachment and restricting unit sizes are the clearest ways to reduce the project’s neighborhood impact.

Outlook: The applicant agreed to return to the committee with revised drawings and documentation. The committee identified Building Commissioner Quinn as the contact for the construction/demolition sequencing plan and indicated the committee will reconvene to review any revised submission.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Woburn City Council Committees - March 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A special‑permit application by Tree Top LLC to replace an existing building with a four‑unit rental property was left in the Special Permits committee after neighbors and councilors raised parking, retaining‑wall and bedroom‑count concerns.","taxTitle","Woburn City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",78425,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107757,"Councilors warn state ADU regulations curb local control; call for local review and possible coalition response",724,4006000,4730000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd&start=4006&end=4730","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd/thumbnail_4006000.jpg","/articles/6107757/Woburn-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Councilors-warn-state-ADU-regulations-curb-local-control-call-for-local-review-and-possible-coalition-response","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107757-6ed8d441838a2137847b3eceab44ad3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776686215&Signature=YEOqhSR~8pLlNPbfmUPpOxSadMFF7erJ6OA3J7PMSd9xaApo03snuRbnjdXwvcAte~eop~2zUdqC0ePbPKa8ZrKPHSRKjSiib9hCMXYKueWUv4-8DyMWpJH9W-w8hl-v2f-L3kRqeiG1-dPci~Orh51Z-ff4IQyRgDYS1oscwBai6Ipa7s1KIAoxpDm9FOL2t8~t5~WUKFh3yLTDZl7au0JeukUAfqb3vHsDYTynFBQ61XHfTB-EwDZnv6Yjvd1VHKyR04mb~Oa~M5diEueq3yJJ48~8L01sRFzINnouWsnUTJVOUSB0pt1rHlDgMuDPD-HPD~E5xyXuJbg0G4NJ~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Woburn City Council’s Ordinance, Charter & Rules committee discussed proposed zoning amendments intended to implement the state’s new ADU regulations and heard repeated warnings from councilors that the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (760 CMR) and the MBTA Communities/Chapter 40A framework significantly constrain local control.

City Solicitor (internal attorney Savanti) briefed the committee on the state changes and said the current draft of the CMRs treats a “primary structure” broadly — meaning an ADU entitlement can apply not only to stand‑alone single‑family homes but also to legally existing two‑ and three‑family houses. That reading, Solicitor Savanti told the committee, limits a municipality’s ability to block ADUs on multi‑unit primary structures.

Councilors from several wards pushed back, saying the revised regulations reduce local discretion on setbacks, rear-yard rules and the number of ADUs allowed. President Dillon and other councilors described the state rules as an “unfunded mandate” and urged a coordinated municipal response to the administration that wrote the regulations: the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC).

Council members flagged specific concerns: the rule language limits local restrictions on rear setbacks and height, allows ADUs to be created in many legally permitted primary structures, and constrains the range of local parking and occupancy controls. Several members said they supported ADUs in principle but not the broad, one‑size‑fits‑all regulatory approach the state has published.

Committee members discussed possible next steps: (1) further review of the draft CMR language and identification of narrow points that might be challenged in court; (2) outreach to other nearby towns and managers to form a coalition and lobby the legislature; and (3) public outreach so residents understand how the regulations would affect parking, snow removal and neighborhood character. Councilor Smith suggested contacting neighboring municipal managers and delegations to build pressure for statutory clarification.

No committee vote to adopt local zoning language occurred; the committee left the item for further study and directed staff to circulate the state redline and related materials. City Solicitor Savanti advised that some restrictions are unlikely to survive judicial review under the current CMRs but encouraged the council to identify narrowly tailored local controls that could withstand challenge.

Why this matters: the state regulations implementing MBTA Communities/ADU requirements affect property owners, landlords and neighborhoods, and can change what local zoning boards may permit. Councilors emphasized that even if Woburn wishes to retain some local safeguards — for example on owner occupancy or limiting ADUs in constrained neighborhoods — those protections may be legally vulnerable under current state rules.

Outlook: Staff will provide the redlined 760 CMR language and related guidance to committee members and explore options for municipal coordination. Several councilors said they will contact peers in other cities and towns to discuss a joint approach to the state or to seek legislative remedy.","Woburn’s Ordinance, Charter & Rules committee reviewed proposed zoning changes to implement the state’s ADU rules and heard unanimous concern from councilors that the new Code of Massachusetts Regulations (760 CMR) substantially limit local control over accessory dwelling units.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107762,"Ordinance committee debates nonunion pay rules, approves $48,812 transfer for fire leadership and removes economic development slot from ordinance",963,732000,1695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd&start=732&end=1695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd/thumbnail_732000.jpg","/articles/6107762/Woburn-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Ordinance-committee-debates-nonunion-pay-rules-approves-48812-transfer-for-fire-leadership-and-removes-economic-development-slot-from-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107762-1c8bdda86a889c6f2bc29f01def40625/orig.mp4?Expires=1776686215&Signature=CuRPsXQmYHRZnxP6N5V5npFA938pGfQAcpb~ufoJKgs2QvPMtESwwQtUKHG9sqmo5Vb8AealmyopMZMtAevrftmAtsTAwvNQWDSXSauHCqI21L8xaWXCU5SMLqcjKgLGbeem9xeNLjY2zLG06h2JvQ2PC8ds~QimZvxCSQfXMVguGXFrFOv0~Q2DZ1ouH47rCabstFzmTJYO2jiwwAvAbLiOjlOjR4JUAj0X51CUW8pCdKBLDQK13Nv4YEyghBjjKJ2dw-dU5mZv1SVrXUML4pf8KO6UURcFJcxvLE4Vw~fwdLqrdAraZqggZ5IJUjH8eW7NJnDxhB-svaJErDB7HA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Woburn City Council’s Ordinance, Charter & Rules committee reviewed proposed amendments to the municipal code that would codify base salaries for nonunion employees and department heads and approved a $48,812.85 transfer to cover salary changes for the fire chief and deputy.

The measure to move $48,812.85 from the salary-adjustment account to cover two fire-department salaries passed on a committee voice vote after staff explained the chief is on a personal contract while the deputy’s pay follows the fire union formula.

Committee members engaged in lengthier debate over a companion order that would amend section 2-1-80 of the municipal code to list base salaries for a broader set of nonunion city positions. That discussion focused on how the proposed ordinance interacts with section 2-1-84(c) and (d) — the code provisions that the administration said tie nonunion salary increases to collective bargaining outcomes and place department-head rate decisions before the council in March.

Mayor (unnamed) and city staff said the draft ordinance was meant to make the code’s existing practice explicit and to reflect recent settlements. Shauna (HR director) and Auditor Daugherty answered councillors’ questions on funding sources, explaining that two of the positions under discussion are grant- or offset-funded (including one from opioid-settlement money) and that funding for the economic development manager expires mid‑fiscal 2026 unless reauthorized.

Councilors pressed staff for multi‑year cost projections before the body would accept the ordinance language. A motion to request estimated FY26–FY28 costs for the package of salary changes passed and staff agreed to supply the figures.

On a separate committee motion, members voted 4–1 to remove the economic development manager position from the ordinance before it moves to the full council. The motion to drop that single position was adopted with the mayor opposed. Committee members said the removal reflected concerns that including a grant‑funded or time‑limited position in the code would effectively signal long‑term city funding without the full budget process.

A later motion to remove an assistant-to-the-mayor/chief‑of‑staff slot from the ordinance failed.

The committee left a requested transfer of $129,190.23 — described by staff as the companion transfer that would fund many of the nonunion adjustments for the current fiscal year — in committee so members could review the requested multi‑year cost estimates before voting. Staff said the requested transfers would come from the salary-adjustment account already appropriated in the current budget and that any subsequent vote to alter the transfer would be reflected by amendment.

Why this matters: the ordinance would codify base pay levels for many nonunion employees and department heads and thereby affect payroll calculations, overtime baselines and future budgets. Committee members repeatedly returned to three points: (1) the need for line‑item cost projections over multiple fiscal years; (2) the legal distinction between nonunion employees whose increases are tied to collective bargaining settlements and nonunion department heads whose increases the council sets; and (3) whether temporary or grant‑funded positions should be listed in the municipal code.

Outlook: Staff committed to delivering FY26–FY28 cost projections and to refining which positions remain in the ordinance. The committee held the larger ordinance package pending that data and moved the fire pay transfer for immediate action.

Votes at a glance: $48,812.85 transfer for fire chief/deputy — approved (committee voice vote). Motion to remove economic development manager from the ordinance — passed, 4–1. Motion to remove assistant-to-the-mayor/chief‑of‑staff — failed. $129,190.23 transfer for nonunion salaries — left in committee pending more data.","The Woburn City Council’s Ordinance, Charter & Rules committee approved a $48,812.85 transfer to cover salary adjustments for the fire chief and deputy, voted 4–1 to remove an economic development manager from a proposed municipal‑code amendment and left a larger nonunion salary transfer in committee pending multi‑year cost estimates.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107748,"Committee approvals: land transfers, reappointments and other routine items passed; special permits and major ordinances held for further review",355,24000,379000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd&start=24&end=379","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772808-5d55ee65e55bf9f550e755ac038774cd/thumbnail_24000.jpg","/articles/6107748/Woburn-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-approvals-land-transfers-reappointments-and-other-routine-items-passed-special-permits-and-major-ordinances-held-for-further-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107748-080f6388dee901b93a7232b9551ea23d/orig.mp4?Expires=1776686215&Signature=HJXlJEM1U2nSQ2UrGCBNd~1gzLVyTOU3bsdeWwsJWid7C1KPsWjHq-OApvvwLYuBsI2iezRPZI5jkJnTVr6dJ0mncTCvDr4B-ZqkYZ4rGummwwHDZ~ab0IPt1Ybn3xvCqM~eSu2fVgUyCvpGum7bx5bmnG8pZpaNd~ZV5Xf39ClEGy8CcHYLmoqLv~5GGF6dAu~wGIS3a6gP6AoaB7tDw9REwXd7DLXlHVCM-N9wL6mUayYquVHaCHp0DjVXV9-LzyH9W7w8g65FGQ8UMmkxbWkKlu1gp4PfIzV-Acnh79JOQEqs3N6N3Yx~JRNXOmaevytb77v~SOt4Ngfpl3tiwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Woburn Committee on Infrastructure & Public Lands approved a series of routine land‑transfer orders and easements and the Personnel committee acted on reappointments and appointments.

Infrastructure items adopted included orders to transfer by deed a lot on Forest Park Circle (Lot A) to Judith A. Belastrieri and a second deed for Lot B to William and Lisa Booker. The committee also authorized a five‑foot easement along 38 Central Street to Brian P. Noonan and Amanda M. Noonan to regularize a longstanding driveway crossing; staff said the easement reflects an accommodation previously made for driveway access related to a nearby fire‑station special permit.

The Personnel committee moved several personnel items: a reappointment of Mark R. Cavicci as an alternate member of the Woburn Board of Appeals and the appointment of Francesco (\"Frankie\") Alonji Jr. to the Woburn Commission on Disability. Councilors praised Mr. Cavicci’s service and recommended Mr. Alonji’s appointment; Mr. Alonji introduced himself and described personal and professional experience in disability services and a desire to serve.

These less‑controversial items were adopted or forwarded by unanimous voice votes or consensus in committee. Several routine orders were accepted as part of the meeting record and placed on the council calendar for formal action.

Why this matters: deeds and easements regularize property records and resolve encroachments that affect access and municipal improvements; board appointments and reappointments maintain municipal boards and ensure quorum and continuity of local services.

Outlook: The infrastructure and personnel items will be placed before the full council for final ratification; higher‑impact items discussed elsewhere (salary ordinance amendments, ADU rules, and the special‑permit redevelopment) remain in committee for further review.","At recent committee sessions the Council granted a series of routine infrastructure and personnel orders — including deeds/easements for private property access and reappointments to boards — while reserving high‑impact zoning and salary ordinance matters for additional committee review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Special-permit hearing on multiunit redevelopment left in committee after neighbors cite parking, retaining-wall and bedroom-count concerns

Councilors warn state ADU regulations curb local control; call for local review and possible coalition response

Ordinance committee debates nonunion pay rules, approves $48,812 transfer for fire leadership and removes economic development slot from ordinance

Committee approvals: land transfers, reappointments and other routine items passed; special permits and major ordinances held for further review