Council approves special permit and waivers for Cabotville Mill conversion to up to 600 apartments

The Chicopee City Council on June 3 approved a special permit under the city’s Mill Conversion & Commercial Center overlay to allow redevelopment of the former Cabotville Mill complex at 165 Front Street into a residential development of up to 600 apartments.

Zoning committee members and city lawyers said the project’s approval was contingent on several conditions: the developer must meet the terms of a tax-and-water-bill payment‑plan agreement dated May 21, 2025; execute the required attestation under the overlay district rules; and obtain a satisfactory planning director report confirming overlay‑district requirements have been met.

Council discussion reflected months of review. The council heard that outstanding tax and water obligations and remediation of administrative items had to be resolved before the permit could move forward. The developer presented site plans and an engineering team explained proposed infrastructure work; the council required that all conditions in the payment plan remain satisfied as a condition of the special permit, which runs with the land.

Councilors also approved three separate waivers the developer requested. Waiver 1 relaxed certain landscape requirements tied to dumpster placement and related site amenities; Waiver 2 reduced the municipal parking standard to 637 spaces rather than a higher conventional requirement; Waiver 3 granted a noise‑level flexibility tied to specified building materials and insulation strategies the applicant proposed. Each waiver received roll-call approval.

The project will proceed under the conditions the council recorded; staff were directed to monitor compliance with the payment‑plan agreement and to report back if planning director requirements are unresolved. The council’s action allows the property owner to move into detailed design and permitting steps required for construction.