Developer continues hearing on plan to convert 7 hotel buildings into 109 apartments at 25 Connector Road

The Town of Westborough Planning Board continued a public hearing Aug. 20 on a proposal to convert seven hotel buildings at 25 Connector Road into 109 apartments.

Tyler Phelps, director of development for Peg Companies, told the board the project would repurpose an obsolescent extended‑stay hotel complex into a mix of one‑ and two‑bedroom apartments, rebranded as Via Apartments on Research if the special permit is awarded. The application covers 109 units (85 one‑bedrooms and 24 two‑bedrooms) and includes site upgrades the developer said are needed to support residential use.

"We are committed to providing 25% of these units as affordable," Phelps said, adding that the project team is negotiating with the town housing trust over what AMI level that additional 5% would target. The application baseline follows the bylaw requirement of 20% at 80% of area median income; Phelps said the housing trust has asked that the extra 5% be offered at 60% AMI but the developer may offer the additional units at a higher AMI pending investor discussions.

Because Westborough has limited sewer allocations for new multifamily development, Peg Companies proposed an on‑site subterranean septic/infiltration system to manage the net increase in sewer and water usage. Jacob Murray, the project's civil engineer, said the health department raised no objection to the test pits completed so far and that additional test pits can be done during construction if needed. "We can do additional test pits once it's cleared," Murray said, adding that existing pit observations indicate groundwater is not expected at the excavation depth.

The developer said it would add 31 parking spaces to reach 137 stalls (the site currently has 106) and provide EV charging infrastructure or make‑ready capacity to meet the Massachusetts stretch energy code. Phelps noted the redevelopment also would include capital improvements and possible frontage work to improve sidewalks along Connector Road; the team said it is open to contributing to sidewalk improvements but has not finalized a scope.

Board members raised several planning concerns during questioning: parking calculations, unit sizes, building height, connectivity to the proposed Beewalt Trail, sidewalk access to nearby commercial areas, and whether roofs could support future solar. Planner Jenny Gingras clarified zoning calculations, saying that in the multifamily dimension for the Highway Business district the applicable parking ratio is 1.5 spaces per unit (not 2 per unit), which reduces the required count compared with an initial interpretation. The applicant said current unit layouts use existing hotel rooms, some as small as 360 gross square feet, and is seeking a waiver of minimum unit size, parking count, and a waiver related to building height (project is three stories versus a 2.5‑story limit cited in the application).

Phelps projected market rents of about $2,100 for a one‑bedroom and $2,500 for a two‑bedroom unit and said the company has completed similar conversions across the country. He said the developer anticipates a modest number of school‑age children based on experience with comparable projects but provided a sampling showing "about 5 or 6 children per property" at comparable conversions.

The board received the presentation, asked for additional clarifications on test pits and sidewalk connections, and agreed to continue the hearing to the Planning Board meeting on Sept. 7 to allow the missing board member to participate and for follow‑up on outstanding engineering comments and affordability negotiations.

The hearing notice read into the record cited the filing record number 204-020544 and referenced "M. G L. Chapter 48 section 9" and sections 3.1 and 6.2 of the Town of Westborough Zoning Bylaw as the notice basis. Records and submitted plans were made available through the town's online permitting system and in the planning office.