Developers Say They’ll Consider Downsizing; No Specifics and Clock Is Running

At a Board of Selectmen meeting on August 10, developers of the proposed Wayland Business Center at the former Raytheon site announced they would consider downscaling the project and would return with a revised proposal in two weeks. Despite the lack of any specific information on the revised project, the BOS authorized a special Town Meeting for November 1 to vote on changes to Wayland’s zoning bylaws to permit this project to move forward.

In an article in the Sunday Globe West (8/14), “Retail Space Trimmed in Rte. 20 Plan”, the developer’s spokesperson said they were considering reducing the retail space from 300,000 sq. ft. to 200,000 sq. ft. and increasing the number of residential units from 100 to 120 (prior to this, the developer had proposed 100-200 units). Numerous boards previously had expressed concern about the proposed project’s scale (538,000 sq. ft. total) and the lack of specific, detailed information on which to base their feedback.

“Downsizing the commercial part is a good thing,” CARD member Alan Mandl told the Globe. “[But]The size of the project as a whole and its traffic, public safety, waste water, and financial impacts still all need to be evaluated.”

MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN: What is the total sq. footage of the new proposal? Will the developers provide sufficient details about the new proposal (they didn’t on their original one, complained many boards including the Planning Board and Finance Committee)? How will this proposal stack against the Town’s own Master Plan? What will the proposed revised project’s impact be on the finances, public safety, and quality of life in our town? Despite the Board of Selectmen’s assertion that there are plenty of opportunities for citizen input, citizens will have only ONE opportunity to directly influence the future of our town: when the proposed zoning bylaw changes are put to a vote at a Special Town Meeting on November 1.

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