By K.B. Sherman, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury –Approximately 140 voters approved all items by unanimous consent on the warrant at the Feb. 25 Special Town Meeting (STM).
The only article that generated much discussion was Article 1, which pertained to a ruling that part of Baker Street located at the old Spags site be discontinued so that the Grossman Development Group’s project “Lakeway Commons” could proceed with planned construction.
At the Special Town Meeting on April 29, 2014, voters had approved a number of zoning change requests for the proposed mixed-use development. The approximately 27 acres would be the site of a self-contained neighborhood of shops, commercial buildings, 140 residential units in a separate three-story building, and a movie theater, all to be built in five phases. The builder at that time sought to change the land’s zoning from residential to commercial/business and to amend the Lakeway Overlay Business District. Under the current conceptual plan, the 27 acres would contain approximately 430,000 square feet of development.
At the STM Planning Board member Melvin Gordon indicated that his board recommended passage of the article. Similarly, the Finance Committee recommended passage. The Grossman representative assured attendees that all abutting property owners had been polled and none objected to the proposed changes in Baker Street. He also related that a thorough traffic study had been completed which indicated no foreseeable traffic problems from the proposed change. After several more questions had been asked by the voters the question was moved and the article was approved unanimously.
The remaining articles were then passed as well. A town closed landfill at 620 Hartford Turnpike was approved as the site of a solar collector array. Several money transfers among town accounts were approved. Voters also approved petitioning the Massachusetts Legislature under Home Rule laws for including in the town’s total of low-income housing stock fixed mobile homes and acquiring several land parcels on the east and west sides of Green Street.