Trammell Crow withdraws plans to build 40B housing
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Southborough - Trammell Crow, which was planning to build a 200-unit condominium development on land in town located north of Route 9 and east of Interstate 495, notified the town last month that it has halted plans for the project.

Southborough Town Planner Vera Kolias confirmed that she had received notice that the Needham-based company was not going to develop the land owned by the Flatley Co., but she said she had no other details.

"I received a message that Trammell Crow wasn't going to develop and that message was confirmed - they're not going forward with the Chapter 40B project," Kolias said. "I know that Trammell Crow notified Flatley directly that they weren't going through with the project."

Because the development was planned as a Chapter 40B project, 20 to 25 percent of the units would have been aff ordable housing rentals.

Being considered in conjunction with the Trammell Crow development was another 200- or 250-unit project, being developed by AvalonBay. That proposed development is scheduled to be located on the south side of Route 9, near Crystal Pond Road.

Kolias said she doesn't know what AvalonBay's plans are, but Southborough resident Kevin Giblin, owner of Brendon Properties, who has partnered with AvalonBay to help build the project, said plans are still in the works.

Kolias said she hasn't received any project filings from AvalonBay, but Giblin said the site plans and building permit applications will be filed in the near future.

The Trammell Crow project seemed to be going forward because officials of the company, as well as AvalonBay officials and representative for Woodland Meadows, a 40-unit condominium complex, had all met with the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen. All three developments had also received preliminary approval from MassHousing, which oversees all proposed 40B projects. The AvalonBay project also plans to have 20 to 25 percent of its units qualify as aff ordable housing.

According to town bylaws, the Zoning Board of Appeals must approve all Chapter 40B projects. Should the AvalonBay development be built, it would allow Southborough to meet the state requirement of having 10 percent of the town's housing units qualify as affordable housing units by 2010.