Urban Affairs Committee approves 276-unit Wood Partners special permit 5-0

MARLBOROUGH — June 15, 2022 — Marlborough Urban Affairs Committee advances Wood Partners' 276-unit Lincoln-Mechanic project on a 5-0 vote. The special permit on Order 22-108-572 covers 10,074 square feet of ground-floor retail, 276 dwelling units (28 deed-restricted as affordable), and a 448-space garage at the rail-trail terminus. Attorney Brian Falk accepted red-lined conditions adding a peer-reviewed traffic study of the May 2022 Vanasse and Associates assessment, all-electric utilities, a green roof, and conversion of the planned restroom on conveyed "Lot 2" into a "public amenity building/restroom" with railroad-related design elements. Councilor Sean Navin pressed the rail-trail draw, calling the corner "an awesome responsibility to redevelop"; Councilor Kathleen Wagner cautioned that "the idea of it sounds good" but operations would fall to the city. The committee accepted the offered 10 percent affordable set-aside after concluding the zoning code provides no leverage to require 15 percent for mixed-use. Construction is projected to start May 2023 and complete February 2025.