By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – The board held two meetings March 24 relevant to potential zoning map bylaw changes. Attorney Mark Donahue of Tilton Fletcher Attorneys at Law represented clients at 160 Holden Street, LLC who recently acquired a parcel of land from Worcester Sand & Gravel. The meeting was held via remote participation.
Donahue said that the site is located north of Holden Street and has two large tracts divided by Clinton Street. The westerly tract is largely undeveloped and is currently in a Limited Industrial Zoning District; it will likely be phase two of his clients’ development.
“Worcester Sand & Gravel ….is currently zoned in the Commercial Business Zone predominantly, which we desire to have become part of instead the Limited Industrial Zoning district,” Donahue explained.
The business, 160 Holden Street LLC, is a subsidiary of GFI Partners, a full-service real estate advisory firm based in Boston. As such, it is their wish to make this site congruent to allow other uses such as basic and applied research and development of electronics and pharmaceutical and biomedical fields, electronic data storage and manufacturing.
Worcester Sand & Gravel will continue to operate at this site under the ownership of 160 Holden Street, LLC. There are no redevelopment plans at present. This zoning map change allows for more utilization options.
Selectman Jim Kane supported this zoning change but shared his concerns about communicating the information to the public.
The board unanimously approved forwarding this bylaw change to the Planning Board.
Richard Riker, attorney with of Ricker & Ricker Law Office, was also present representing a zoning map change relevant to 59 Cherry St. to allow for a senior housing development.
The board deemed that the present funding climate and the complexities of this type of project, it would be more conducive to wait until the fall when the Special Town Meeting convenes.
