Marlborough council denies Ames Village 90-unit special permit despite 7-2 majority

MARLBOROUGH -- April 27, 2026, Marlborough City Council denies 90-unit Ames Village condo permit on 7-2 vote. The application from Marlborough/Northborough Land Realty Trust, an affiliate of the Gutierrez Company, needed eight votes under state law and fell short when Vice President Sean A. Navin and Ward 3 Councilor Robert Preciado voted no, with Councilors Mark A. Oram and Matthew Sargent absent. The denial cited traffic impacts and "undue congestion" in an area dense with multifamily uses. Ward 6 Councilor A. Trey Fuccillo defended the project's $2,555-per-unit mitigation, which included $90,000 for Richer School construction, $50,000 for Ames Street sidewalks and $90,000 toward a west-side fire station. The council separately approved unanimously $807,524 in FY27 operating funds and $150,000 in toolbox money for the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation, and set the City Solicitor salary at $175,000.