Public hearing for Walgreens plan extended
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Southborough - Plans for the development of a Walgreens drugstore on Route 9 continue to progress, and proposed architectural changes have been met with approval by Planning Board members and residents.

Arista Development, the developer of the project, had its architect reduce the height of the peak of the building to 33 feet and the overall height to 26 feet.

Scott Weymouth, president of Arista Development, told the Planning Board at its Oct. 15 meeting that those heights are well within the maximums contained in town bylaws.

Weymouth said architects added two shed-dormer features to the structure, replacing a feature that residents and board members did not find aesthetically pleasing.

Traffic flow around the building has been redesigned so that cars will be able to enter the store via Route 9 or Oak Hill Road, but exit only via Oak Hill Road.

Jason Plourde of Greenman- Pederson Inc., a traffic consultant, said traffic along Oak Hill could be kept moving by widening it to three lanes as it approaches Route 9 - one for left-turn only, one for right-turn only and one for straight-ahead traffic.

Another concern - that the site, which once housed a car dealership, has contamination issues - was addressed by Weymouth.

Weymouth said that he has had extensive testing done on the site and been told there are no hazards on the premises. He said if additional testing reveals there are hazards, the town would not be responsible for any part of the cleanup.

The Planning Board didn't vote on the project at its Oct. 15 meeting because two members were absent. The board extended the public hearing until Tuesday Oct. 30, at which time a vote is expected to be taken.