MARLBOROUGH – For the past 10 years, the city has been trying to make downtown more attractive to residents and businesses.
A series of meetings and forums led to the creation of the Marlborough Village District in 2014, which has zoning to allow multifamily dwellings, hotels and businesses that meet certain criteria.
Councilor Kathleen Robey has been working to amend some of the zoning regulations, especially in regards to affordable housing, design standards, parking and structure height.
Proposed changes were approved by the City Council last March, but vetoed by Mayor Arthur Vigeant the following month.
Robey said she has continued to work on the amendments, with help from regional planners.
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On Sept. 18, the City Council held a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Chapter 650 zoning ordinance.
“Some of the language needed to be amended,” said Robey, who listed some of the proposed changes to the ordinance, including:
- Definition of AMI (Area Median Income)
- Changes to definition of mixed-use
- Amending what is allowed (changing to by right to special permit for hotels and mixed-use)
- Affordable housing component for developments with eight or more units (change from 12 or more units)
- Affordable units must be included in the state’s Subsidized Housing Inventory
- Have designated affordable units remain in perpetuity (change from 99 years)
- Drop the alternate site provision
- Changes to design standards for external walls and masonry
- Parking spaces in public garages and lots within 1,000 feet of the development may be counted toward the requirement for spaces, with payment in lieu required.
- Within the Village District, payment in lieu of parking spaces may be requested for any new commercial or mixed-use structure
- A one-time fee of $25,000 per parking space (change from $10,000 per space)
- Change in minimum and maximum heights (35 feet, or 2.5 stories; 60 feet, or 4 stories), not including roof-mounted equipment
Robey said some of the changes were proposed with the project at 57 Main St. in mind. The former Rowe Funeral Home is slated to become Exchange Place, a project with 99 residential units, but only 28 on-site parking spaces. The owners of the site, JW Capital Partners LLC, have claimed there’s enough off-site parking to accommodate Exchange Place residents and visitors. They are in court with the city over plans to use the off-site parking.
Several residents commended Robey’s efforts, but said they would like to see the council hold off on any decision until after the election.
“A bigger shift is coming in January,” said Arthur Bergeron, who lives in the district. “There’s going to be a whole new group of people. Postpone this [vote] until then.”
“A lot of conversation still needs to happen,” said Richard Tomanek, a member of the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation.
Councilor Mark A. Oram said it’s important to review the zoning bylaws from time to time.
“We need to be fluid on zoning bylaws,” he said.
Oram added Marlborough “needs a city planner” to assist municipal boards with zoning issues.
The proposed zoning changes have been sent to the council’s Urban Affairs Committee.
