Developers propose 132 apartments and retail at Westborough Plaza; planning board pauses for peer review and sewer allocation

An owner team seeking to redevelop part of Westborough Plaza presented detailed plans April 2 to the Westborough Planning Board for 18 and 30 Lyman Street, proposing two mixed‑use buildings with retail at grade and three stories of housing above.

Mark Donahue, attorney for the applicant, said the proposal would remove two existing buildings and build a primary structure with an underground garage for 111 vehicles and 111 units above, plus a retrofit elsewhere on the plaza adding 21 units — a total the applicant described as 132 new residential units. "It's really a two‑phase development for the residential component," Donahue said during the presentation.

Britney Gessner, the project civil engineer with VHB, said the plan keeps the site footprint but increases total site square footage to about 510,000 square feet, adds 44 parking spaces overall, 24 EV charging spaces and both exterior racks and 45 internal bicycle storage slots. Gessner also told the board the submission includes nearly a half‑acre of new pervious landscaping, five water‑quality units and a subsurface infiltration system to treat and recharge roof runoff before it reaches nearby wetlands.

Vinod Kalikiri, the project's traffic consultant, summarized a traffic impact study dated Feb. 19, 2024, covering Route 9 frontage and the length of Lyman Street between Route 9 and East Main Street. "The study overall shows that the impacts of the development would be nominal," Kalikiri said, but he and staff also said the consultant's work is under peer review and the town's reviewer will issue comments for the applicant to address.

The applicant told the board it is exploring providing the affordable units directly and has discussed with the Westborough Affordable Housing Trust the possibility of increasing the required 20% affordable component to 25% at 80% of area median income so those units would count on the state's Subsidized Housing Inventory. Ed Bain, chair of the Affordable Housing Trust, testified in public comment that the trust has been working with the owners and would be willing to contribute funds to reach a 25% target.

Several board members pressed the team on utilities and access. Planning staff and members noted a town moratorium and limited allocation for residential sewer connections; staff said the board could condition any approval on the applicant securing sewer allocation before a building permit is issued. Board members also asked VHB to re‑examine the location of a crosswalk and the proposed alignment of the BWALT multiuse trail where it would intersect site drive aisles and suggested the applicant consider contributing to a flashing yellow beacon or other crossing controls.

Given outstanding peer‑review comments on engineering and traffic and unresolved sewer allocation questions, the board voted 5–0 to continue the public hearing to April 16, 2024 so the applicant can respond to reviewers and provide additional technical details.

The next scheduled step is that the applicant will receive the peer‑review comments, submit responses, and return to the Planning Board on the continued hearing date. The application record number is 24‑00514; materials are available through the town permitting portal and in the Planning Department.