Trammell Crow Company’s withdrawal of its plan to build a massive, environmentally unsound mixed-use development on Boston Scientific’s land off Sasseville Way in the face of overwhelming opposition shows the company has the common sense to know its proposal to rezone the parcel from limited industrial to mixed-use residential was going down in defeat.
Unfortunately, the City Council’s 6-5 vote to allow the withdrawal preserves the developer’s right to come back with another plan for the 23-acre parcel. To do so would be ludicrous because the company has already changed its design several times in a futile attempt to address the obvious problem. This environmentally significant parcel is just not the right place for a development of any size. It should remain open space.
The five Councilors who opposed the withdrawal request have clearly heard the voices of more than 100 residents, as well as the unanimous objections of our Conservation Commission and the Urban Affairs Committee. In fact, not one resident has spoken up in favor of this project.
The land should not be developed because it is the headwaters to Fort Meadow Reservoir. It filters and cools the water that fills the lake; defends against pollution, weed and algae blooms and helps mitigate climate change. Building on this land will have irreversible unintended consequences. We simply should not take the risk.
Boston Scientific has been a good neighbor in our City. But good neighbors are at their best when they help other neighbors. We have spoken loud and clear, with the support of many City Councilors and the entire Conservation Commission. We respectfully ask Boston Scientific to work with us to preserve this parcel. Let’s ring in the New Year, not just for this year but for generations to come, by starting these discussions in earnest.
Sincerely,
Robert Braga
Marlborough
