By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Westborough – Westborough selectmen met briefly Nov. 6 to review and close a four-article warrant for a Special Town Meeting that will take place Monday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Westborough High School Auditorium and Gymnasium, 90 W. Main St. Selectman Leigh Emery was absent from the meeting.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, the selectmen moved to close the warrant. The only discussion point was switching out old language for new in Article 3 which was accepted. The articles are as follows:
Article 1: The Astrellas Tax Increment Financing Agreement authorizes the Board of Selectmen to create an Economic Opportunity Area at 9 Technology Drive and to offer and execute a Tax Increment Financing Plan/Agreement with Astellas US LLC at 9 Technology Drive. The company is planning to move to Westborough from Chicago and will add 100 employees in addition to the 100 that will be relocating to Westborough.
Article 2: Amendment to the Affordable Housing Requirement – Senior Living Overlay District – will, according to the town manager, “clarify whether the Planning Board has the ability to modify the 20-percent affordable housing requirement in the Senior Living Overlay District based on the wording of the town’s Zoning Bylaws…the Planning Board needs a solid basis to be able to negotiate on the special permit issuance to ensure the project goes forward and is successful.” The motion for this article requires a two-thirds majority vote.
Article 3: To see if the town will vote to amend the vote taken under Article 20 of the March 2017 Annual Town Meeting that appropriated $1.5 million and permitted borrowing for four new modular classrooms and/or an addition at Armstrong Elementary School and payment of all costs including demolition and removal of the existing modular classrooms at the school. Additionally, the design, bidding and construction of a new addition to the school would be included.
Article 4: The Property Appraisal article will allow the transfer from free cash and appropriate the sum of $10,000 or such other amount for undertaking a property appraisal for 231 Turnpike Road. This is relative to the questionable ownership of the property that housed the former Regal Cinema Theater and the need for an appraisal for considering an eminent domain land-taking to expedite re-use of this property.