Planning Board Gives OK to New Gillette Stadium Employee Parking Lots

Two new parking lots for event day employees are coming to Gillette Stadium. Despite opposition and concerns from some nearby neighbors and abutters, the planning board approved the construction of two parking lots off of Route 140.

The special permits for the two lots were approved 4-0-1 with an abstention and the vote to issue a site plan was 5-0.

Both lots will be created with special permits at the request of the planning board, meaning that stadium officials will need the go to the planning board to renew the permits on a yearly basis.

Lot A, which will have 550 spots, will be constructed on the west side of Route 1 just past the overpass on Route 140 while the 614-spot Lot B will go near Bass Pro Shop with an entrance on Route 140 North just before the Route 1 overpass.

Use of the lots are restricted to employees only during major events at the stadium. Approximately 20 events are expected to use the lot.

Concerns from neighbors from both Foxborough and Wrentham near the new parking area included the impact of the new traffic and the risk of more accidents. The board however, was confident that the police details to be set up near the entrances would assist in managing the traffic.

“Right now when you go down Route 140 heading west it’s amazing what that flashing blue light does, it slows you down. As they showed, where that police detail will be, it will make it safe for that officer directing traffic,” board member Gordon Greene said.

Both Police Chief Ed O’Leary and Fire Chief Roger Hatfield have signed off on the plan.

Of the 2,500 event day employees used for major events, over half of them will park in the new lots and take a shuttle over to the stadium. The vast majority, if not all traffic for the lots will come from the south but there is are routes to the lot from the north for the small percentage of workers that may arrive from north of the stadium.

The lots are expected to be ready next summer.