Planning board continues public hearing on Central Square overlay district after developer presentation and traffic study

The Woburn City Planning Board continued the public hearing Feb. 11 on a proposed Central Square overlay district after hearing a developer presentation of building elevations, a traffic study and public comment.

Attorney Joseph Tabby, representing the applicant, introduced architect Peter Carboni and traffic engineer Scott Thornton, who presented renderings and intersection improvements tied to a mixed‑use proposal the applicant said would include four townhouse buildings (about 32 units) fronting Main Street and two five‑story buildings behind them (about 93 units in Building B and 99 units in Building A). Tabby said the City Council Ordinance Committee held the matter in committee and the council planned a continued public hearing the following Tuesday.

Thornton of Venas and Associates summarized a traffic study scoped with the city engineer that examined eight nearby intersections and proposed changes including removing the Lowell Street connection through the site, creating a longer right‑turn storage lane on Wilcox Circle, combining split signal phases by relocating a driveway opposite Clinton Street, and a short left‑turn lane on Main Street. Thornton said, after removing some existing residences and with the proposed intersection changes, the studied signalized intersections would operate in an improved manner compared with existing conditions.

Board members and residents raised questions about scale, height, neighborhood fit, remaining parcels not under the applicant's control, buffers along the canal, solar panels, and whether the traffic study adequately covered cut‑through routes. Board member Jim Callahan said the board should focus at this stage on whether to approve the proposed overlay district boundaries and the ordinance text; Director John (Planning Director) submitted a written staff report and a recommended set of edits and clarifications for the proposed ordinance, including: numbering the new section as Section 35 after Section 34 became the MBTA ordinance; clarifying affordable‑housing language to specify that 15% of units be designated affordable under section 11.11; noting the applicant requested removal of certain office uses from the ordinance; and flagging dimensional and open‑space items (applicant proposed 40% maximum building coverage and 25% minimum landscape usable open space, while the comparable S2 district currently allows 30% ground coverage and 40% landscape usable open space). John told the board these differences could affect the maximum unit count (the draft ordinance lists a maximum of 225 units) and recommended the city council review the flagged items.

Several residents spoke. Bob Zwicker of 663 Main Street described morning congestion near Clinton Street and urged careful review of the Clinton Street intersection. Robert Dean of 20 Wyman Street opposed eliminating the roadway through Wyman Green and said he often cannot exit his driveway during peak traffic. The applicant said discussions with the Boys & Girls Club and improvements to pedestrian access, the canal bike path, and temporary construction accommodations for schoolchildren were part of the plan; Julie Gage of the club was present, the applicant said.

After discussion, Board member Jim Callahan moved to continue the public hearing to the board's next meeting; the motion was seconded by David (board member). The board voted 5–2 to continue the hearing. Chair Karen (Planning Board Chair) confirmed the public hearing remained open pending further review of John’s recommended ordinance edits, additional traffic details and clarifications about included parcels. The board scheduled further consideration for its next meeting, March 11.