Woburn City Council Votes To Create New Zoning Overlay District

WOBURN, MA — After half a year of discussions, Woburn City Council created a new "railway overlay district" along the abandoned Boston & Main Railroad stretch along Main Street, between Green Street and High Street. The district allows buildings of up to 49 feet in height and 25 residential units per acre. It faced significant opposition from neighbors opposed to the increased height and density, but passed by a vote of 6-3, with aldermen arguing that it was necessary to draw development to the area.

The legislation was sponsored by Alderman Edward Tedesco and Mark Gaffney. The creation of the zoning district and its addition to the zoning map were combined into a single vote. Ahead of the vote, Alderman Michael Concannon explained that he understood the concerns, but thought the area would be better off with the new zoning rules.

"We've got an area of the city where we tried to generate and get some positive growth, and clean up an area. It's laid dormant for years," Concannon said. "To get this area of the city to improve, we have to do something like this."

Prospect Street resident Kenneth Lee criticized the regulations, which allow for taller and denser development than the neighboring Woburn Loop Bikeway/Greenway overlay district, which has significantly lower density limits. According to the planning board's final report on the proposal, the WLGBOD has a density limit of seven units per acre. In the railway overlay district, the pre-existing zoning already allowed for double that, 14 units per acre.

"Does the city council really believe the City of Woburn should change the zoning regulations for an are of land that's already zoned for up to 14 residential units per acre, on the notion that a developer's going to have to spend too much money on remediation that it will not be profitable without nearly doubling the number of units," asked Lee?

Joseph Tarby, an attorney representing a property owner in the railway overlay district, argued the WLGBOD shows the need for higher density limits.

"The greenway district was adopted in 2003, and here were are 16 years later and not one project has come forward," Tarby said.

Other residents were concerned that the district was "spot zoning," created for a specific project, which Tarby was representing. The proposed project would create a four-story apartment complex on one stretch of

George Gately Jr. and Edward Hovsepian hope to redevelop the stretch from 8 to 10 Green Street into a four-story complex with 54 apartments.

Aldermen Joanne Campbell, Darlene Mercer-Bruen and President Michael Anderson voted against the district. Mayor Scott Galvin has 10 days to veto the zoning amendments, although with a repeat of the 6-3 vote, city council would have the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto. Galvin could not be reached for comment on his plans regarding the district.

In October, Galvin asked the council to send the amendments back to committee, due to concerns about the impact of increased density.

"I remain very supportive of developments that benefit the City and can readily see the positive aspects of the conceptual redevelopment plan for 8-10 Green Street that would be built if the rezoning is approved," Galvin wrote. "However, I am increasingly hearing from residents that they are concerned about the impacts of some developments, most notably with density and traffic."

City council did ultimately return the legislation to committee, before the vote this week.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.