Woburn City Council Reduces Max Density For Commerce Way Overlay

WOBURN, MA — Woburn City Council voted Tuesday to make several changes to the Commerce Way Corridor Overlay District, intended to reduce residential building in favor of mixed-use development. Mayor Scott Galvin and Planning Board Chair Tina Cassidy both spoke before the council, who approved the measure without sending it to committee, and with three members absent. The maximum residential density in the district was reduced from 25 to 10 units per acre, among other changes.

The amendment also reduced the maximum height to 80 feet (excluding parking under buildings) and prohibited "free-standing residential" buildings. Residential uses must be secondary, or supporting, to office or commercial space. Any building that does have residential units is required to make them at least 25 percent affordable, up from 10 percent. A rental residential building with 25 percent affordable units is counted as 100 percent affordable for the city's Chapter 40B housing inventory, Cassidy explained.

Alderman Michael Concannon expressed concern about making the changes without going to committee and with only two-thirds of council present. Galvin explained that two property-owners had already applied for permits, and are locked in under the old rules, and he worried that others would do so if the changes were not made quickly.

"I think if we delay we'll see, not a floodgate opening, but we'll see others," Galvin said.

All six alderman present voted in favor. Aldermen Richard Gately, Lindsay Higgins and Edward Tedesco were absent.

The amendment also required all buildings to have at least 30 percent open space, and eliminated a provision exempting certain parcels from the density and dimension rules. The full changes are available here. The City Council discussion is available here, via Woburn Public Media Center.

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