Planning Board approves 25 Connector Road conversion with 25% affordability and $40,000 contribution

Westborough d t its Sept. 17 meeting, the Planning Board granted a special permit for the conversion of an existing hotel complex at 25 Connector Road into a 109-unit residential development, conditioned on affordability, construction and traffic-mitigation measures.

The approval follows a presentation by Jacob Murray of Waterfill Design Group and participation by Tyler Phelps of Peg Companies, the applicant. Jenny Ingris, the town planner, read the conditions into the record: the project will create 85 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom units (109 total); 25% of units (28 units) will be designated as affordable and listed on the Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI); the Affordable Housing Trust will provide a $360,000 subsidy payable upon issuance of certificates of occupancy for the covered affordable units; at least one SHI unit must be fully accessible; and the special permit will expire if not utilized within three years.

The project will provide 134 parking spaces (reduced from the required 164 after fire-lane stripe adjustments), require stormwater review and DPW approvals, and make 20 spaces EV-ready with at least one accessible EV-ready space. As an in-lieu measure for sidewalk construction the applicant will contribute $40,000 toward the redesign of the Flanders Road/East Main Street intersection; the planning board included a 10-year clause allowing reallocation of those funds for pedestrian improvements benefiting the project's residents if the project-specific intersection work is not executed within that timeframe.

Why it matters: The board emphasized the affordability outcome: by raising the affordability percentage to 25%, Ingris said, "all 109 units will count for our subsidized housing inventory," a significant credit toward the town's SHI.

Applicant concerns and practical implications: The developer and civil engineer noted the moratorium's practical effect: Jacob Murray told the board his client would prefer to avoid installing a costly 3,000-gallon septic system if sewer connection is possible; DPW staff reiterated moratorium timing projections (target: spring) and said preconstruction meetings will be used to confirm final sewer/connection details.

Outcome and next steps: The board voted to grant the special permit with the read conditions; staff will finalize the written decision and monitoring conditions. The applicant will coordinate required preconstruction meetings with DPW and planning staff before permits are issued.