Developer Of Marlborough 276-Unit Building Offers Details at Hearing

MARLBOROUGH, MA — The developers behind a proposed 276-unit apartment building in Marlborough's French Hill neighborhood appeared before city council on Monday, offering new details about the proposal and hearing concerns from residents and councilors.

The building — dubbed Alta Marlborough — would take over a French Hill block bounded by Mechanic Street, Lincoln Street and the Assabet River Rail Trail. Developer Wood Partners would build three main structures on the site: two mixed use buildings standing four and five stories, and a 44o-space parking garage behind the main buildings.

Brian Falk, an attorney representing Wood Partners, also said the developer would build a 22-space parking lot and restroom facility where the Assabet River Rail Trail ends near Highland Street. The facility would be transferred to city ownership once complete, Falk said.

Falk also said the building would be 10 percent affordable, which allows Marlborough to maintain its target of affordable units under the state 40B law. The building will also have space for retail on the ground floor, including a co-working space. Wood Partners also plans to add a green roof.

"This will revitalize not only this parcel, but also help push forward the downtown area," Wood Partners Managing Director Jim Lambert said during the public hearing.

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But several residents and city councilors questioned aspects of the development, inculding whether the 440 parking spots would be adequate, how the building would affect traffic in the area and whether developers planned to meet with residents in the area before construction.

On May 18, the developer will conduct a "balloon test" at the Lincoln Street site. The balloons will float to the proposed height of around 50 feet. That will allow residents and city officials to see how the building might change the Marlborough skyline, another concern highlighted during Monday's hearing.

The next step for the project will be a discussion in the council's urban affairs subcommittee. The project will later come out of the subcommittee for a full vote in front of the council before construction would start.