Urban Affairs caps Shell station hours at 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., rejects 24-hour request

MARLBOROUGH — July 10, 2023 — Marlborough Urban Affairs cuts a Shell station's 24-hour bid down to 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The committee voted 5-0 on July 10 to recommend the limited exception for Colbea Enterprises' Shell at 342 Boston Post Road East, matching the schedule recently granted to a station at 431 Lincoln Street and rejecting Attorney Hall's pitch that overnight traffic of 70 to 100 customers justified round-the-clock operation. Councilor Doucette led the pushback, citing Route 20 construction and a "cascade" risk from other operators; Councilor Wagner cited noise complaints from residents at the villages. The committee then spent two hours on Chapter 650 amendments, reaching consensus to require 12 percent affordable units at 80 percent AMI or below for both ownership and rental, strike a proposed $75,000-per-unit buyout, move mixed-use developments and Marlborough Village District hotels to special-permit review, and ask the solicitor whether local preference can extend to people who work in the city. Parking and building height were deferred to a July 11 continuation.