Neighbors press Planning Board for traffic study as tennis club seeks new fitness center and additional parking

Westboro Tennis & Swim presented a site plan Feb. 17 for a 26,000‑square‑foot building on a 7‑acre Oak Street parcel intended to house the fitness center and free up space at existing club properties for additional courts. The applicant said the consolidated facilities would serve roughly 300–400 customers across club properties and add an estimated 100–200 additional users because of the reconfiguration.

Engineering representative Wesley (McCarti) described two Oak Street driveways, wetlands along the eastern border, a parking field providing roughly 133 spaces and a stormwater plan combining underground infiltration with an above‑ground basin. The project has been peer‑reviewed by CI and received comments from engineering, fire, board of health and building departments.

Several abutters said the plan will intensify already heavy peak‑hour traffic at the Oak/Chanty/Woodman area, report shortcutting onto Woodman Avenue and worry about headlights and late‑night activity. Neighbors requested screening between new parking and abutting properties; the board and staff said pedestrian connectivity, sidewalk frontage and intersection turning movements must be evaluated.

Planning staff asked that the traffic study include at minimum the Woodman & Oak intersection, Oak & Chanty intersection, and Chanty & Lyman (to capture likely approaches) and evaluate driveway operations and turning movements. The applicant agreed to coordinate scope with staff and DPW. The board continued the public hearing to March 3 to allow the applicant to respond to peer‑review comments and submit the required traffic and pedestrian materials.