Select Board backs zoning change to allow Costco-style development at former Dell EMC site, pending final language

Southborough’s Select Board on Sept. 16 said it supports a proposed zoning amendment that would permit a Costco-style retail use on the former Dell EMC parcel at 21 Cosland Drive, but members said they want final article language before formally voting to place it on the special town meeting warrant. The article would add the retail use to the Industrial Park zoning district and make it allowable by special permit; if approved by voters, Atlantic Management and Costco would then seek site-plan and special-permit approvals. The amendment matters because town leaders say the Dell EMC property has sat largely vacant for decades and that large-format retail could generate significant commercial tax revenue and attract other businesses. Select board member Al told the meeting: "This is a chance to try to do something different than what we've been doing for the last 30 years because what we've been doing for the last 30 years really just hasn't been working to our advantage." The board noted the measure requires a two-thirds vote at a special town meeting scheduled for Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Trottier. Planning-board hearings and a report to town meeting are still required. Select Board members and planning officials described the zoning change as a first, enabling step: a successful amendment would permit the use in that industrial-park parcel; a subsequent special-permit process would address detailed site-plan questions such as traffic, parking and landscaping. Planning-board members asked the developer to include parcel-specific language limiting the change to the Dell EMC parcels and to name the planning board as the permitting authority; the developer has agreed to tighten the draft article. Town officials and outside advisors gave preliminary estimates during the discussion. One board member summarized regional assessments suggesting large-format stores in similar places are typically assessed in the $20 million–$30 million range and can produce roughly $300,000–$400,000 a year in property tax revenue; by comparison, officials said Route 9 commercial parcels currently produce about $3.6 million annually. The board cautioned those are estimates from planning discussions and stakeholder briefings rather than finalized appraisals. Next steps and local timeline: the planning board has additional public hearings (the board discussed a Sept. 29 hearing), the Select Board said it will review the final warrant language before formally sponsoring the article, and the town warrant-signing deadline is Oct. 7. If voters approve the zoning amendment on Oct. 27, Atlantic Management and Costco would then proceed with local permitting and a site-plan review process.