Woburn neighbors press council on safety, Dover Amendment as petitioner withdraws Cambridge Road childcare plan

A public hearing at the Woburn City Council on Jan. 2 focused on a special-permit application from Suntree States LLC for a childcare center (proposed as a Goddard School) at 205 and 213 Cambridge Road.

Neighbors, elected officials and the petitioner discussed revisions to the site plan, traffic and safety near the Reeves School, and legal limits under the Dover Amendment. Attorney for the applicant said the house on one lot will be demolished so the project can be reconfigured to meet setback and open-space requirements; the applicant asked to withdraw the petition without prejudice and return at a later hearing.

Why it matters: Residents said a childcare facility proposed to serve roughly 178–180 children could generate heavy peak-hour traffic that would back up onto Cambridge Road and increase risk at a nearby crosswalk used by Reeves School students. Multiple speakers urged the council to press for enforceable permit conditions and to clarify what future uses would be permitted if a childcare operator left the property.

Neighbors described repeated local observations and worst-case scenarios. “You can't tell them tear down the building,” said Judy Stafford, who questioned what recourse neighbors would have if traffic became dangerous and argued the permanent change to the neighborhood could not easily be reversed. Elaine Doherty, a lifelong Day Circle resident, said moving a driveway closer to a crosswalk would make conditions worse for schoolchildren and called on the council to prioritize safety measures.

Councilors and staff outlined remedies available through the special-permit process, including conditions the council can require and — in extreme cases — the authority to revoke a permit if standards are violated. Councilor Boomer said revocation is an available, though rarely used, enforcement tool and stressed that “in perpetuity” maintenance language and other precise permit terms matter for long-term compliance.

Legal context: Counsel for the petitioner told the council that childcare centers are treated differently under the Dover Amendment than the category of nonprofit or governmental schools that receive a particular form of protection. “The Dover amendment does not differentiate with regard to childcare centers as to whether they're for profit or non profit,” the attorney said, noting childcare occupies a distinct category and that recent land court decisions have extended Dover protections in ways towns contend with.

Council action and next steps: Councilor Campbell moved and the council voted to send a communication to the city solicitor asking what would happen to the commercial building if the Goddard School closed and whether other uses could occupy the property. The council then closed the public hearing and voted to grant the petition leave to withdraw without prejudice; the applicant said it will return with revised plans at the next available public hearing.

The hearing record shows concern about traffic, enforcement mechanisms and long-term land-use consequences. The petitioner agreed to provide colored renderings and to meet with the special-permit committee before the next hearing. The council scheduled follow-up review and further committee consideration.