Woburn council approves 477 Main Street mixed‑use project with 24 conditions

The Woburn City Council on Nov. 19 voted to grant a special permit allowing six residential units above a commercial ground floor at 477 Main Street, and approved a set of 24 conditions the council said address parking, drainage and pedestrian safety.

Attorney Joseph Tabby, representing Campbell & Main Street LLC, told the council the petitioner had worked with city staff and engineers to resolve traffic and utility concerns and to scale some elements of the design. Engineer Scott Thornton summarized a maneuverability study and a sight‑distance review; Thornton said vehicles could enter and exit planned on‑site spaces without encroaching on a nearby utility pole and that the traffic signal at Main and Salem streets mitigates sight‑distance issues. "The vehicles are able to enter and exit the spaces," Thornton said, summarizing the AutoTurn simulations used to model movements.

Council debate focused on three recurring issues: parking, stormwater and the street‑level interface. The council retained a requirement for a downtown parking enhancement payment — the petition’s conditions call for $22,500 to cover five municipal spaces substituting for required off‑site parking. The petitioner also agreed to illuminated pedestrian‑warning signage at garage entrances, motion‑detector warnings, and a do‑not‑block marking and sign on Salem Street at the driveway entrance. Councilors pressed for protections around a utility pole adjacent to the Salem Street egress; the working draft was amended to require installation of protective bollards.

The council also required a sequencing plan for construction and demolition (to be approved by the building commissioner and DPW superintendent), as‑built plans at project completion, a provision that condominium documents state parking is not guaranteed to unit buyers, and that the condominium association be responsible for maintenance of the on‑site drainage system and restoration of sidewalks and curbing as shown on the site plan.

Several councilors praised the petitioner’s responsiveness. Councilor DeMearns said the design "has come a very long way" from its original filing and commended the drainage and access changes. Public commenters at the hearing urged the council to approve the reuse of a long‑vacant lot in downtown Woburn; two neighbors explicitly offered their support for the mixed‑use approach.

The motion to grant the special permit with the 24 conditions was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The council closed the matter after the vote. The council did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript beyond the unanimous "Aye" recorded for the motion.

What happens next: the conditions require actions by the petitioner (construction sequencing, installation of specified signage and bollards, payment into the parking fund, and submission of as‑built documentation) before final occupancy; the building commissioner and DPW will monitor compliance.