Subcommittee approves discontinuance of parts of Garland Street, Veterans Avenue to clear way for Lakeside redevelopment

Councilor George Russell, chairman of the Worcester City Council Public Works Subcommittee, said the committee voted to discontinue city property rights in portions of Garland Street and Veterans Avenue to allow redevelopment of the Lakeside Apartments site.

The action follows a planning board report and a petition filed by attorney Mark Borenstein representing Tremont Development Partners LLC, E3 Development LLC and the Worcester Housing Authority. The discontinuance removes the city’s public‑way rights for the affected segments while reserving utility and drainage easements so infrastructure serving the neighborhood remains protected.

The action matters because it clears public‑right‑of‑way restrictions that developers say now function as internal driveways for the apartment complex and will allow phased redevelopment. “Technically, we’re not giving our rights to anyone. We’re discontinuing our rights, and then, the property owner, the Worcester Housing Authority, or whoever is on that parcel, can use the land for development,” City Solicitor Alexandria Calcutis said during the discussion.

Attorney Mark Borenstein described the request as part of a multi‑phase redevelopment of the Lakeside Apartments. He said the Worcester Housing Authority will retain fee ownership of the land and enter ground leases with separate special‑purpose developer entities for different phases. Borenstein asked that any easement agreements protecting existing infrastructure be drafted to allow modification if a given service is discontinued in a later phase.

Department of Public Works staff told the committee that the portions proposed for discontinuance are currently used as internal driveways and that discontinuing them would remove the city’s responsibility for maintenance tasks such as plowing, a benefit to the department. Staff confirmed that utilities and drainage would be protected through easements and noted the local utilities also serve other nearby properties.

Committee members asked whether the city was transferring rights to the housing authority or private entities; the solicitor and the developer clarified that the city is abandoning its public‑way rights and the property owner (now the housing authority) would control the parcels subject to recorded easements. Borenstein noted the layout shown on conceptual plans and said Garland Street would continue to function as a driveway with off‑street parking, while Veterans Avenue could potentially abut a corner of a future building in a later phase.

The committee approved the discontinuance on a voice vote and asked that final easement agreements be worked out with the law department and the Department of Public Works before conveyance or final recording.

Next steps: staff will coordinate easement language with the law department and the petitioner as the redevelopment proceeds, and the parties will record the discontinuance and related easements in the city land records.