Woburn City Council Overrides Veto On Zoning Overlay District

WOBURN, MA — Woburn City Council overrode Mayor Scott Galvin's veto to create a new zoning overlay district south of downtown Woburn. The district, around the abandoned Boston & Main Railroad stretch along Main Street, between Green Street and High Street, allows density up to 25 units per acre and maximum heights of 49 feet. City Council voted six to three at its Jan. 7 meeting to override the mayor's veto.

The same three alderman voted against the amendments as on the initial Dec. 17 vote: Aldermen Joanne Campbell, Darlene Mercer-Bruen and President Michael Anderson. New Alderman Jeff Dillon voted in favor of the amendments, as did his predecessor Mark Gaffney, keeping the voting lines unchanged. As the vote was a veto override, the amendments went into effect the instant city council voted in favor.

Mercer-Bruen made another pitch to send the amendments back to committee, to consider the density measure. In his veto, Galvin called the 25 unit density limit "excessive." The previous zoning in the neighborhood allowed for 14 units per acre.

Supporters of the amendments argued that without high density, developers would not have enough incentive to do projects in the area, which they said was in need of clean-up. Critics, including Galvin, agreed that clean-up was needed.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.