Trucks will only turn right into proposed Centech development

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By Laura Hayes, Senior Community Reporter

The Centech North site sits largely empty off South Street in Shrewsbury. The Shrewsbury Planning Board may soon vote on plans for a proposed three-building campus on the site.
The Centech North site sits largely empty off South Street in Shrewsbury.
Photo/Dakota Antelman

SHREWSBURY — The Shrewsbury Planning Board may soon vote on plans for a proposed three-building campus on Centech Park North. 

“We’re in the middle of the summer, turns into fall, turns into winter,” Larry Beals, founder of Beals Associates, told the board July 1. “With all that said, we’d like to be on a track where we can maybe wrap this up at the next meeting or shortly thereafter with a decision so we can commence construction in the fall and get a start on things before winter conditions.”

Planning Board Chair Steven Boulay said that schedule was news to the board.

Beals said they still needed to respond to comments from a peer-review of the plans. 

During the July 1 board meeting, developer NorthBridge Partners presented revisions to their plans for the 60-acre site, which is located near the corner of Route 20 and South Street. 

Now, traffic will only be able to turn right in and out of the entrance onto Route 20, which NorthBridge has previously said would be the entrance used by trucks.

The change came after NorthBridge met with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT) last month.

“DOT was adamant that this intersection on Route 20 can only be right hand in,” Beals said.

Additionally, traffic will only be able to turn right out of that driveway onto Route 20, according to Beals. 

Boulay said he would be interested in what would constrain the vehicles to only turn right in and out. 

“I just want to ensure that the right in, right out is really forced on the site … I see it all the time – no left turn, and people take a left turn,” Boulay said.

The entrance in question is one of two entrances into the site. A second entrance would come off South Street. However, NorthBridge has said in the past that only cars would be allowed to use that entrance. 

NorthBridge is proposing three buildings on the site — an office building, a 102,000-square-foot warehouse and a 197,000-square-foot warehouse. 

Beals noted that they added more parking to the north of the 197,000-square-foot warehouse to provide more appeal to the market, especially if there are two tenants in the building. 

 

RELATED CONTENT: 

Centech developer wants to keep barn on Allen property (communityadvocate.com)

Neighbors concerned about proposed Centech development (communityadvocate.com)

Planning Board continues public hearing for Centech Boulevard project (communityadvocate.com)

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