Select Board refers Atlantic Management zoning proposal for Route 9 (Dell site) to Planning Board

Atlantic Management presented a zoning proposal for the Route 9/Dell Technologies property in Southborough on July 15, and the Select Board voted to refer the company’s proposed zoning bylaw to the Planning Board to begin the public hearing and town‑meeting review process.

The proposal, presented by attorney Robert Buckley and Joseph Zink of Atlantic Management, would add a targeted use by special permit in the town’s industrial‑park zoning where the Dell property sits. In their presentation the developers said the overlay would be limited by location, height, product mix and other controls and intended to attract mixed‑use or commercial redevelopment that increases commercial tax revenue while minimizing impacts on nearby residential neighborhoods.

Robert Buckley outlined Atlantic Management’s experience redeveloping large, underused corporate sites in the region, citing projects in Marlborough and Westborough that converted vacant office campuses into mixed uses with companies such as Quest Diagnostics, Cytiva and Amazon Robotics. Buckley said those projects produced “significant tax revenue” and revitalized nearby commercial corridors. The presenters also told the board they reviewed the town’s 2021 master plan and aligned their goals with language that recommends increasing use intensity and exploring revised zoning for the Route 9 corridor.

Board members asked high‑level questions and said they favored moving the process to the Planning Board, which statutorily makes a recommendation to town meeting. One board member noted the town’s long‑term need to increase its commercial tax base and reduce reliance on residential property taxes. The presenters requested the Select Board place a warrant article on an upcoming special town meeting (dates discussed in the meeting included November 3 and October 27); Atlantic Management said either date would work for them.

Motion and referral: A Select Board member moved that the Select Board refer Atlantic Management’s proposed zoning bylaw to the Planning Board; another member seconded the motion and the board approved the referral by voice vote. The meeting record does not include a roll‑call tally. The referral begins the formal public‑hearing process; future zoning language and any town‑meeting warrant article will be shaped by Planning Board hearings and any proposed bylaw text returned to town meeting.