Planning board hears Albrecht Auto Group pitch for 80 Turnpike, continues hearing over sewer and engineering questions

The Town of Westborough Planning Board on June 18 heard a presentation from Albrecht Auto Group and its design team for a site plan review to retrofit 80 Turnpike Road into a mechanical repair facility with two service bays and office/storage space.

Marshall Gould, attorney for the applicant, introduced George Albrecht and Anthony Carboni, general manager, who said the proposal would expand the dealership’s service capacity without major exterior construction and keep customer intake at the adjacent 84 Turnpike location. Designer Barry Atchison of WDA Design Group reviewed renderings showing two new large vehicle doors, minimal exterior changes and interior modifications to accommodate lifts. Atchison said the plan would result in a net loss of four parking spaces but estimated the site can accommodate roughly 71 cars overall, more than the 45 spaces generally required.

Board members focused on outstanding infrastructure approvals. The applicant confirmed that an oil-water separator connection had not yet been signed off by the town engineer and that the project team had requested a waiver from DPW staff member Chris Payant; the applicant said they were awaiting a formal response. The applicant also noted the building’s past uses and that town records of permitted sewer service were unclear; they said they were working with DPW to document permitted flow and expected the water demand for the service use to be substantially less than the previous granite/office use.

Members asked about neighborhood impacts, including noise and headlights from service bay operations; the applicant said insulated high-speed doors would limit noise and that operations would be quieter than prior granite cutting on the site. Questions about electric vehicle charging and rooftop solar were raised; the applicant said level 3 charging is planned for its 82 Turnpike location and some charging exists at 84, and that 80 would not require extensive EV infrastructure for the proposed service-only use.

Because sewer allocation and the town engineer’s sign-off on oil-water separation remained unresolved and several documents had been posted only shortly before the meeting, the board voted to continue the public hearing. Although the chair referred at points in discussion to July 16 as a possible target, the motion on the record set the continued hearing date as July 24; the board approved that continuance.