WESTFORD — The Planning Board last week reviewed a proposed 530-unit development on Powers Road, marking the first formal submission under the town’s new MBTA Communities Multifamily Overlay District bylaw, approved at the Annual Town Meeting in April 2024.
The project, located at 37 Powers Rd. on the site of the former Westford Earth Materials, aims to construct 530 rental units, including a mix of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments. The design includes five separate buildings and 112 parking spaces.
“10% of the units that we are proposing will be affordable, in full compliance with your regulations,” Melissa Robbins, an attorney from law firm Farrell & Robbins representing the applicants from ZD acquisitions, said. “These units will be affordable to those families earning 80% or less of the area median income.”
This project would be the first reviewed under the new zoning bylaw and, as WestfordCAT previously reported, has the potential to be the largest development in Westford and among those proposed in the state.
Robbins presented the site plan to the board along with Hancock Associates Engineer Brian Geaudreau, Copley Wolff Design Group, Inc. Landscape Architect Ian Ramey, Vanasse & Associates, Inc. Transportation Engineer Daniel LaCivita, and Architect Cube 3 Brian O’Connor.
Ramey said that they have an opportunity to deliver a more vibrant public space for the residents. He highlighted that 63% of the site would be open space, including over 380 native trees and 180,000 square feet of native plantings. Additionally, 112,000 square feet would be designated as active open space for residents.
LaCivita presented a traffic study, noting that traffic flow at surrounding intersections would remain acceptable. However, LaCivita suggested re-timing five traffic signals to accommodate potential changes in traffic patterns.
LaCivita acknowledged that the project does have the potential to change traffic patterns in the area and recommended that they re-time five signals in the area.
Planning Board member Robert Shaffer praised the project’s architectural design.
“Overall, I really like the facade design. I like the look and the visual impact,” he said.
However, Shaffer sought clarification on how affordable units would be allocated across the development, which was acknowledged previously but was not present in the application.
Robbins explained that after the Planning Board approves the site plan, the applications will apply to the state for local action application and develop a lottery plan for the affordable units.
Board member Joan Croteau said her biggest concern was the lack of parking.
“When you first look at it, it looks like an apartment complex with parking. So I don’t know what the thought process was to not have some type of central roadway with buildings with parking behind,” Croteau said, “Which was kind of the whole intent of the MBTA community and what we worked on and tried to convey in the bylaw.”
Jim Dunlop, Managing Director at ZOM, one of the applicants, said that incorporating a central road would mean more traffic for residents. Robbins also added that they had looked at alternative site designs that had dead ends which appear to be a problem.
“We did look at some other site designs that had dead ends, and that was a big problem, especially for fire and site design. We have to try to get to as many sides of the building as possible without creating a dead end,” Robbins said.
Planning Board Member Dylan O’Connor complimented the work that had already been done and said that he loved the design but took issue with the potential increase in traffic.
“I have significant concerns about the traffic increase and the degradation of the level in service to to surrounding infrastructure like traffic lights,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor also said that he thought that the site had a circulation traffic issue with the current layout. He wanted to see how they envisioned traffic moving in and out of the site.
The public then had the opportunity to weigh in on the project, with resident Emily Teller adding, “I’m surprised that I like this as much as I do. I think that the architecture really had a lot to do with it.”
She said, “I am thrilled about the trees. I am a tree person, and Westford knows that. I’m just worried about the viability of the trees because lots of trees get planted and they get ignored, and I’m concerned about that,” while raising concerns over light pollution on the site.
The Planning Board plans to continue the public hearing to April 22.
