Post by thecrossisback on Jan 16, 2023 9:25:32 GMT -5
315-unit apartment proposal would replace baseball complex in Northborough
Jesse Collings
MetroWest Daily News
Hear this story
View Comments
NORTHBOROUGH — A 315-unit apartment complex is being proposed at the site of the New England Baseball Complex, a 30-acre outdoor facility that opened less than a decade ago at the busy junction of Routes 9 and 20.
The proposal comes as the town seeks to adjust to statewide zoning changes that call for greater housing density in communities with MBTA access. It would feature multiple buildings constructed at 333 Southwest Cutoff, replacing a complex that caters to colleges, high schools and other organized baseball programs, and can be reconfigured to accommodate soccer, lacrosse and field hockey.
The project is being proposed by Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a Texas-based real estate developer that has already completed similar projects in Billerica and Wrentham, and has had another in Chelmsford that was approved earlier this year.
'Fields of dreams':New England Baseball Complex in Northborough was 15 years in the making
The Northborough proposal was presented to the Planning Board during a public hearing on Dec. 6. At that time, Mark Baranski, vice president and development manager of Trammell Crow Residential, described the project as "luxury, class A apartments," and that the location is ideal for supporting a housing project of its size, as it offers easy access to Framingham, Marlborough and Worcester.
"One of the things about the site is that it is very well supported by transit infrastructure by virtue of being right on Route 9," Baranski said during the public hearing. "The majority of job centers that we identified are really going to be directly east or west on that Route 9 corridor."
The New England Baseball Complex, at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough, offers three turf fields that are used by colleges, high schools and other organized teams. The property is being eyed by a Texas developer for a 315-unit apartment complex.
TCC plans to call the complex "Alexan Northborough," and proposes to build the units as a collection of townhomes, single apartments and multistory buildings, spread across 25 acres. TCC does not yet own the property, but is working directly with the owner, 333 Building One LLC, to develop the site.
Baranski noted that all units will be rentals.
Jason Kosow, director of New England Baseball Enterprises, which built the baseball complex in 2014, told the Daily News that the apartment proposal is "so far into the future" that it won't impact anything planned for 2023. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Anna Maria College and other local colleges and high schools use the facility for home games.
"Over the years there have been offers made, and right now we are just seeing what the community thinks of this idea," he said.
MBTA community zoning rules
Recent state law has opened the door for projects such as Alexan Northborough to be considered in communities like Northborough. In August, former Gov. Charlie Baker officially signed into law new zoning guidelines that any community either with direct MBTA service or adjacent to a community that has MBTA service would need to permit for greater density in residential zoning.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
News Across the U.S.
Access the digital replica of USA TODAY and more than 200 local newspapers with your subscription.
Click "Universal" in the eNewspaper
Related:New MBTA zoning rules could increase local housing stock in some communities by up to 22%
According to state guidelines, as an MBTA-adjacent community, Northborough needs to create zoning space for 750 units in town to comply with state guidelines. If communities do not comply with the guidelines, they will no longer be eligible for important state grants such as the MassWorks Infrastructure Program and the Housing Choice Initiative.
For most communities, the deadline to comply is by the end of 2024.
The New England Baseball Complex at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough is being eyed for an apartment complex.
Alexan Northborough would get the town about halfway to its housing goal, meaning that even with approval, at least one more zoning change in town would be necessary for Northborough to meet state guidelines.
To move forward, TCC is seeking a partnership with the town that will have the area TCC is looking to develop be zoned as an MBTA Zoning Community. That will allow the town and the developer to work together on developing a project that satisfies state guidelines. The town could sign a nonbinding agreement that would determine eligibility with the state to see if the district fits the requirements for MBTA communities.
Affordable housing component
Baranski said he imagines the town will be interested in putting in a minimum percentage of affordable housing, adding that his company's Chelmsford project contains 15% affordable units.
"We assume there is going to be an affordable component, but that is going to be part of the conversation with the town," he said. "I don't want to put words in the town's mouth, but I assume most towns want at least 10%."
This rendering shows the proposed layout and different style housing options at the potential housing development at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough.
If the town does sign an agreement with TCC, further steps include a site plan review, public hearings with Northborough residents, and a Town Meeting vote to determine project approval.
Northborough Planning Director Laurie Connors said the town is evaluating all options to comply with state guidelines, with Alexan Northborough being just one of them. She said the idea of working collaboratively with a developer to create a new zoning district has the benefit of allowing the town to still exercise some control over the project.
A rough outline of the parcel at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough, currently home to the New England Baseball Complex.
"One of the attractive things about this proposal is that the town would still have the ability to regulate and have more control over the project than if the town just creates a by-right district," Connors said. "The town can work cooperatively with a developer to make sure that it gets what it wants, and the developer gets what they want. If we just zone a district that allows any future projects to be built by-right, we have less control over what gets built there."
Connors stressed that the project is, at present, not doable, because the property containing the New England Baseball Complex is zoned for industrial use and not residential. Zoning would need to be changed to allow for residential construction, and that would require a vote by Town Meeting.
Connors said it was "unlikely" such an article on the matter would be ready for Town Meeting this April.
Jesse Collings
MetroWest Daily News
Hear this story
View Comments
NORTHBOROUGH — A 315-unit apartment complex is being proposed at the site of the New England Baseball Complex, a 30-acre outdoor facility that opened less than a decade ago at the busy junction of Routes 9 and 20.
The proposal comes as the town seeks to adjust to statewide zoning changes that call for greater housing density in communities with MBTA access. It would feature multiple buildings constructed at 333 Southwest Cutoff, replacing a complex that caters to colleges, high schools and other organized baseball programs, and can be reconfigured to accommodate soccer, lacrosse and field hockey.
The project is being proposed by Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a Texas-based real estate developer that has already completed similar projects in Billerica and Wrentham, and has had another in Chelmsford that was approved earlier this year.
'Fields of dreams':New England Baseball Complex in Northborough was 15 years in the making
The Northborough proposal was presented to the Planning Board during a public hearing on Dec. 6. At that time, Mark Baranski, vice president and development manager of Trammell Crow Residential, described the project as "luxury, class A apartments," and that the location is ideal for supporting a housing project of its size, as it offers easy access to Framingham, Marlborough and Worcester.
"One of the things about the site is that it is very well supported by transit infrastructure by virtue of being right on Route 9," Baranski said during the public hearing. "The majority of job centers that we identified are really going to be directly east or west on that Route 9 corridor."
The New England Baseball Complex, at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough, offers three turf fields that are used by colleges, high schools and other organized teams. The property is being eyed by a Texas developer for a 315-unit apartment complex.
TCC plans to call the complex "Alexan Northborough," and proposes to build the units as a collection of townhomes, single apartments and multistory buildings, spread across 25 acres. TCC does not yet own the property, but is working directly with the owner, 333 Building One LLC, to develop the site.
Baranski noted that all units will be rentals.
Jason Kosow, director of New England Baseball Enterprises, which built the baseball complex in 2014, told the Daily News that the apartment proposal is "so far into the future" that it won't impact anything planned for 2023. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Anna Maria College and other local colleges and high schools use the facility for home games.
"Over the years there have been offers made, and right now we are just seeing what the community thinks of this idea," he said.
MBTA community zoning rules
Recent state law has opened the door for projects such as Alexan Northborough to be considered in communities like Northborough. In August, former Gov. Charlie Baker officially signed into law new zoning guidelines that any community either with direct MBTA service or adjacent to a community that has MBTA service would need to permit for greater density in residential zoning.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
News Across the U.S.
Access the digital replica of USA TODAY and more than 200 local newspapers with your subscription.
Click "Universal" in the eNewspaper
Related:New MBTA zoning rules could increase local housing stock in some communities by up to 22%
According to state guidelines, as an MBTA-adjacent community, Northborough needs to create zoning space for 750 units in town to comply with state guidelines. If communities do not comply with the guidelines, they will no longer be eligible for important state grants such as the MassWorks Infrastructure Program and the Housing Choice Initiative.
For most communities, the deadline to comply is by the end of 2024.
The New England Baseball Complex at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough is being eyed for an apartment complex.
Alexan Northborough would get the town about halfway to its housing goal, meaning that even with approval, at least one more zoning change in town would be necessary for Northborough to meet state guidelines.
To move forward, TCC is seeking a partnership with the town that will have the area TCC is looking to develop be zoned as an MBTA Zoning Community. That will allow the town and the developer to work together on developing a project that satisfies state guidelines. The town could sign a nonbinding agreement that would determine eligibility with the state to see if the district fits the requirements for MBTA communities.
Affordable housing component
Baranski said he imagines the town will be interested in putting in a minimum percentage of affordable housing, adding that his company's Chelmsford project contains 15% affordable units.
"We assume there is going to be an affordable component, but that is going to be part of the conversation with the town," he said. "I don't want to put words in the town's mouth, but I assume most towns want at least 10%."
This rendering shows the proposed layout and different style housing options at the potential housing development at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough.
If the town does sign an agreement with TCC, further steps include a site plan review, public hearings with Northborough residents, and a Town Meeting vote to determine project approval.
Northborough Planning Director Laurie Connors said the town is evaluating all options to comply with state guidelines, with Alexan Northborough being just one of them. She said the idea of working collaboratively with a developer to create a new zoning district has the benefit of allowing the town to still exercise some control over the project.
A rough outline of the parcel at 333 Southwest Cutoff in Northborough, currently home to the New England Baseball Complex.
"One of the attractive things about this proposal is that the town would still have the ability to regulate and have more control over the project than if the town just creates a by-right district," Connors said. "The town can work cooperatively with a developer to make sure that it gets what it wants, and the developer gets what they want. If we just zone a district that allows any future projects to be built by-right, we have less control over what gets built there."
Connors stressed that the project is, at present, not doable, because the property containing the New England Baseball Complex is zoned for industrial use and not residential. Zoning would need to be changed to allow for residential construction, and that would require a vote by Town Meeting.
Connors said it was "unlikely" such an article on the matter would be ready for Town Meeting this April.
