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Westborough wins $372,000 downtown planning grant; transportation study to follow
Summary
Town staff announced a $372,000 grant plus a $15,000 private match to fund a preliminary (25%) downtown design focused on sidewalks and safer pedestrian connections. The town will hire a consultant, start outreach to downtown businesses and coordinate with a regional WRTA transportation study.
Jenny, the town planner (as identified in the meeting), announced that the Town of Westborough has been awarded a $372,000 grant for the next phase of its downtown plan and that the Grossmans at Bay State Commons have provided a $15,000 match.
The grant will fund a transportation-focused 25% preliminary design that emphasizes sidewalk improvements, safer pedestrian connections and other circulation work in downtown, Jenny said. The town will meet with the engineering firm it is hiring later this month to kick off the project and plans enhanced outreach to downtown businesses so owners understand proposed construction and can provide input.
The update also described a separate, regional transportation study led by the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) covering Shrewsbury, Northborough and Westborough. WRTA aims to deliver recommendations by the end of the year and will hold another public information meeting; the study may inform whether the town renews or rebids its micro-transit contract with Via, which expires at the end of the fiscal year.
The town’s next steps are to finalize the consultant contract, begin stakeholder outreach and circulate proposed schedules and public meeting dates. Jenny told the committee she wants business owners involved early so they are not surprised when construction begins. The committee did not take formal action on the downtown plan at this meeting.
