Planning Board reiterates desire to see decrease in Beal Commons units

By Bill Gilman Senior Reporter

SHREWSBURY – It appears likely that if the developers of a mixed-use development on the site of the former Beal School are to win needed approval from the Planning Board, they will need to scale back the number of residential units.

Representatives from Civico/ Greenly Development presented the board with proposed modifications to their plans for Beal Commons at 1-7 Maple Ave. March 2.

While board members applauded some of the changes proposed by Civico/Greenly, they were unanimous in their displeasure that the number of units weren’t reduced.

“The prior four meetings I think the board has been relatively clear that we would like to see fewer units, and we’re still looking at 55,” said board member Tim Jarry. “Lowering the amount of commercial space instead of the units that’s the opposite of what, I think, we wanted to see.”

Taylor Bearden, partner

at Civico, outlined the proposed changes, which include shrinking the footprint of the proposed structure, reducing the retail space by 700 square feet, to 7,000 square feet, and adding green space including a community garden, walking paths and compact car parking spaces.

Board Chair Steven Boulay expressed frustration that the developers had not submitted revised formal plans in advance of hearing, stating that the presentation was not what the board was hoping to see.

“These are not plans, these are drawings,” said Boulay. “We have not received any plans relative to what changes have been brought forth. Also, this is the first time we’ve got [the drawings] is today.”

Bearden said the developers would be presenting formal revised plans but wanted to get feedback from the board regarding the proposed changes before doing so.

Board members expressed continued concerns about parking on the site, as well as the impact of traffic on Maple Avenue,

Hascall Street, Main Street and Wesleyan Street.

“I would have rather seen a unit reduction as part of this as well,” said Boulay. “I, personally, would like to see the [proposed] building stay the same, but if we can do something about reducing the number of units, that would put less pressure on the parking situation. It certainly would help offset some of the pressure on the downtown area and subsequently in the neighboring streets.”

“You talk about walkability; well, it’s retail that drives the walkability of the town center and you’ve reduced the amount of square footage in the retail,” said board member Joseph Thomas. “We’ve all been very clear about what we feel, that the unit count is the problem, with the traffic and the parking on the site. You didn’t even reduce it by one.”

Board members Stephen Rodolakis and Purna Rao were not in attendance at the meeting.

Approximately 75 residents were in attendance at the public hearing. About a dozen took

Grafton fire chief graduates from management program

STOW – More than three dozen fire service leaders from across Massachusetts, including Grafton Fire Chief Eric Mathieu, recently graduated from the 28th class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program.

The four-month program for new chief officers and chief officer candidates is delivered jointly by the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and the University of Massachusetts Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management. Through classroom instruction and out-of-class assignments, the course delivers intensive training in the non-fire suppression aspects of managing a municipal fire department.

“The chief fire officer program is a tremendous opportunity for new chiefs and rising officers,” said State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, who graduated from the program in 2002. “The rigorous instruction in such a wide variety of topics will help these graduates provide the leadership that their departments and communities deserve.

Completing the program is a major accomplishment, and I want to congratulate them on their initiative and dedication to professional development.”

The program covers a spectrum of topics considered essential for effective public sector management — human resource management, ethics, executive leadership, governmental and organization structures, information management, customer-focused strategic planning, legal issues, budgets and public finance, community awareness and labor relations. The curriculum helps fire officers improve their ability to lead and manage personnel, understand employees’ needs and problems, communicate effectively to a variety of audiences, and leverage interagency cooperation.

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program tuition free.

The 2022-2023 graduating class was drawn from the fire departments of Acushnet, Barnstable, Belmont, Billerica, the opportunity to speak and most voiced their opposition to the project in its proposed form, echoing concerns about traffic and parking. Some were opposed to any redevelopment of the Beal school, while others wanted to see the number of units reduced by at least onethird.

Moira Miller, president of the Shrewsbury Town Center Association, was one of the speakers to voice support for the project, stating it fits with the vision the town has outlined for the Town Center. She downplayed potential parking concerns by referencing the town’s annual Yuletide Market, held the first

Saturday in December.

This past year, she said, the market attracted an estimated 3,000 people from the hours of 4 to 8 p.m.

“The lesson to take away from this Yuletide Market experience, I believe, is that all these people, of all ages, found parking for this event,” she said, adding she believed common ground can be found to move Beal Commons forward. “I’m confident that the concerns expressed about this project will be satisfactorily worked out by this Planning Board and the developer.”

The board continued the hearing to its April 6 meeting.

Plans filed for proposed warehouse on Westboro Road

By Maureen Sullivan Assistant Editor

GRAFTON – Residents have been invited to submit comments about a proposed light industrial warehouse project on Westboro Road.

The site is located near Institute Road, across the street from Sunshine Sign Co. Pecorino’s wine and cheese shop.

Bridgewater, Chelsea, Easthampton, Everett, Fitchburg, Framingham, Grafton, Granby, Halifax, Hanover, Holyoke, Hyannis, Ipswich, Lakeville, Maynard, Medway, Methuen, New Bedford, Newton, North Andover, North Attleboro, Oakham, Palmer, Pelham, Russell, Seekonk, Sturbridge, Tewksbury, Three Rivers, Truro, West Brookfield, Westport, and Worcester, where its members serve as chiefs, deputy chiefs and captains.

The project’s proponent, Westboro Road Property Owner LLC, recently filed an expanded environmental notification form and proposed environmental impact report with the Massachusetts Environmental Property Act (MEPA).

The project will include about 200,000 square feet of general light industrial/research and development between two buildings. It will also include about 298 parking spaces, with room for 106 spaces, should demand warrant it.

Access to the project would be from a new driveway off Route 30.

According to Town Planner Fiona Coughlan, once the forms are filed with the state, project proponents will begin pursuing town filings and appearing before boards.

The developers are hosting a community meeting to discuss the project on either March 16 or 21 at 6 p.m. at Apple Tree Arts, Grafton Common, said Coughlan.

Updates will be provided once available.

Comments, questions and concerns may be emailed to Hannah Jadovich, project manager for GFI Partners, at hjadovich@gfipartners.com.

Comments may also be emailed to the MEPA office, MEPA@mass.gov, by March 28.