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Select Board hears MCI master-plan survey: residents praise housing and green space but flag traffic and school impacts
Summary
Town staff and consultants presented results of a public survey of two illustrative MCI site plans (542 responses). Respondents liked housing, retail and rail-trail connections but raised consistent concerns about Route 2/rotary traffic, parking and school capacity; the consultant will present a refined plan Sept. 9.
A Concord consultant presented survey results for the MCI Concord illustrative master-plan options, and Select Board members pressed for clarity on traffic, housing counts and next steps.
"We collected over 542 responses between June 16 and July 5," said Alyssa, a project presenter, summarizing the online survey that asked the public to choose between two site layouts. Both options drew similar overall interest: new housing, green space integrated with the rail trail, and additional retail such as a grocery store.
Town Manager Megan Zamuto said the consultant confirmed the options were developed to test a plausible range of development and infrastructure needs. "Both of those options could support a range of housing units from 800 to 1,000 units," she said, and staff emphasized that subsequent work will refine building heights, unit mixes and parking. Zamuto also reported that state legislators have asked for projects to include in a state economic development bond and that the town has submitted design requests for two nearby transportation projects.
Board members focused on traffic and access. Several members said the Baker Avenue/Elm Street intersection and the Route 2 rotary are pivotal to how MCI can be redeveloped. "There are real trade-offs with density, height and parking," one member said, urging more modeling of trip generation and access points. Consultants acknowledged those concerns and said a targeted traffic analysis and fiscal-impact modeling are underway.
The consultant team told the board it will use the survey feedback to revise the illustrative plans, evaluate fiscal impacts to the town and schools, and refine transportation and open-space proposals. The refined illustrative plan will be presented at a public meeting on Sept. 9.
The board also discussed how the project's larger authorization and financing would work if the Commonwealth approves bond language: an authorizing bill would allow borrowing but state agencies and the governor would prioritize and include projects in the capital investment plan before funding is released.
Next steps: staff and the consultant will finalize a fiscal-impact analysis and a moderate transportation review over late July and August, then present the refined illustrative plan publicly on Sept. 9.
