NORTHBOROUGH – Town Meeting voters narrowly defeated a proposed moratorium on distribution and transportation uses on Tuesday.
Proponents of the moratorium noted traffic and what they described as quality of life concerns.
Opponents, however, expressed concerns about the moratorium’s impact on economic development.
The article proceeded to a vote, where it failed to muster the two-thirds majority it needed to pass, with the final vote counted as 123-66.
A motion to reconsider the article also failed, as did a subsequent article which Planning Board Chair Kerri Martinek called “Plan B.”
That item would have further expanded the definitions of “distribution and transportation uses” in the town’s bylaws.
Like the initial moratorium, “Plan B” required a two-thirds majority. It failed 124-67.
What was proposed
Martinek reported that, according to the Assessors Department, warehouses occupy 68% of the total count of industrial lots in Northborough.
She described both the initial moratorium and the subsequent article as two different “solutions” to concerns surrounding these warehouses.
According to Martinek, the Planning Board has seen “a lot” of different applications submitted for the town’s industrial zone for warehouse, trucking and distribution projects over the last several years.
Prominent facilities currently in operation include Amazon warehouses off Bartlett Street as well as neighboring FedEx Freight and A. Duie Pyle properties.
“When we think about e-commerce as an industry, it’s really way out here,” Martinek said. “What we’re finding as a board is our bylaws are still way back here.”
“We’re not in a good spot which allows us to be protected as residents of the town because our bylaws are not in a spot where we can be proactive rather than reactive,” she continued.
The first article was a moratorium, meaning it would mandate a temporary pause on issuing new special permits and building permits for distribution and transportation uses in Northborough.
The moratorium would have lasted for one year.
In that time, Martinek said, the Planning Board would form a committee to study the potential impacts of these uses.
The committee would present its findings and recommendations to the Planning Board, which would then propose bylaws to Town Meeting.
The second article would have further refined the definitions of warehouses in town bylaws. The Planning Board had proposed this article in case the moratorium failed.
It would have added three definitions — fulfillment centers, package and freight delivery facilities and delivery stations.
However, none of these uses would be allowed in any of Northborough’s zoning districts, which led some to criticize this as having a similar effect as the proposed moratorium.
Unlike the moratorium, which had a one year time limit, opponents noted that these zoning use prohibitions could remain in effect for an undetermined amount of time.
“Hopefully for next year we can come back with some different options for everybody to consider,” Martinek said, responding to this.
‘It’s only going to get worse’
Several residents who spoke in favor of both articles talked about the amount of heavy vehicles driving throughout town as a whole and in specific areas, such as on Bartlett Street in front of Algonquin Regional High School.
One resident said she couldn’t open her windows because of beeping, air horns and trucks revving their engines.
“Fifteen to 20 years from now, Northborough is going to look different,” said resident John Wixted.
He said he didn’t want the town to look like industrial areas, such as Saugus.
“Northborough doesn’t look like the apple town that it was in 1985,” Wixted said. “And if we don’t get in front of this, it’s only going to get worse.”
A year isn’t a long time, Wixted said, but it would be enough time to take a “pause” and come up with guidelines for the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals to get ahead of “the e-commerce problem that we’re going to face.”
Dario DiMare is an architect with his office and home in Northborough.
He noted that the last remaining available properties on Bartlett Street, where distribution centers might locate, abut residential neighborhoods. Many distribution centers run 24/7 and, by code, have back-up beepers.
DiMare also noted the nearby Algonquin Regional High School and concerns about the safety of students commuting to and from school.
“I think the safety thing here is paramount and nobody has really addressed that,” DiMare said.
‘Businesses can pull out’
As residents spoke in favor of the trucking and distribution articles, others noted their opposition.
Resident John Rapa said one of the Planning Board’s focal points is supporting the master plan — a chunk of which, he said, is residential and commercial economic development.
“The last major piece of economic growth is yards from here on Bartlett Street,” Rapa said of the article adding definitions. “This would greatly reduce that and impact revenue to this town.”
Resident Michael Vulcano called the definitions article “self-serving,” saying that it didn’t have “the best intentions for the town.”
“We need to keep developing commercially, not put a moratorium on it, not to change all these bylaws, this does not help business come into town,” Vulcano said. “This is on the taxpayer’s back.”
He continued, criticizing Northborough’s current permitting and approval process and noting specific concerns about the Planning Board.
“Most businesses don’t want to come here as it is because their building permits and stuff are always held up until the very last minute. This is not good,” Vulcano said.
Vulcano referenced ongoing appeals of recent Planning Board decisions, of which three are currently ongoing in state Land Court. A fourth case is in Superior Court.
One of those Land Court cases is headed to a trial next month, and the Superior Court case is scheduled for a trial in August.
“What’s the cost of that to the town?” Vulcano asked. “What is going on? This is real money.”
Vulcano noted traffic on Hudson and Church streets and said that — with exits off I-290, I-495 and state roads like Rt. 20 — there will be traffic.
He additionally noted tax revenue generated from industrial projects, which town officials detailed in a presentation last fall.
Amazon alone was estimated to pay about $1.1 million in the 2022 Fiscal Year and was among the top three taxpayers in Northborough, according to that presentation.
“Tax dollars is what runs these towns, and if it’s not coming from commercial [taxpayers], it’s coming out of your pocket,” he said, directing his comments to fellow voters.
Rose DiBenedetto, who said she lives on Laurel Avenue, said she hasn’t heard or felt a difference in traffic in recent years. She called on voters to look at the situation as a whole and plan for the future.
In the future, the community may want to expand schools or the library. That money comes from businesses, DiBenedetto said.
“I know that we keep banging Amazon,” she said. “However, they can pull out tomorrow.”
RELATED CONTENT
Northborough Planning Board denies Bartlett Street subdivision plans
STERIS Corp. appeals Northborough Planning Board’s permit denial
Northborough Planning Board discusses warehouse moratorium
Northborough Planning Board weighs next steps on warehouse moratorium
Northborough Zoning Board weighs in on proposed transportation, distribution moratorium
