Proposal: Industrial Land for 504 Senior Condos

Woburn officials are weighing a zoning change that would clear the way for 504 age-restricted condominium units on vacant land at The Vale, the former Kraft Foods site. (woburnma.gov) The petition from Pulte Homes of New England would amend Woburn’s Technology and Business Mixed Use Overlay District into a Technology and Business/Residential Mixed Use Overlay District for the parcel. The filing says the project would be limited to residents 55 and older, with no residents age 18 or younger. (woburnma.gov) Planning Board minutes from Jan. 13 say the proposal covers vacant mixed-use and industrial land at The Vale and would allow 504 homeownership units with parking at 1.5 spaces per unit. The same minutes say the earlier approval on that land was for four five-story research-and-development lab buildings, a two-story biomanufacturing building, an amenity building and a seven-story garage. (woburnma.gov) The debate is happening after the lab market weakened across Greater Boston and a large commercial plan at the site stalled. City records say the applicant told officials that about 33.55 acres approved for life-science use now sit empty. (woburnma.gov) The land is part of The Vale, a 107-acre redevelopment parcel that Leggat McCall bought from Kraft Heinz in 2018. Leggat McCall says the site was prepared for a mix of advanced manufacturing, research and development, retail, residential and senior living, and that other residential pieces have already been built. (lmp.com) Leggat McCall says Pulte has already completed more than 25 townhomes and the first multifamily building at Highland at Vale, while LCS Development opened The Delaney at the Vale, a 223-unit senior living community. The remaining dispute is over whether another 504 units should replace land once reserved for commercial and industrial uses. (lmp.com) That swap has divided local officials. Patch reported in March that City Council President Robert Toro said he would not support the zoning change, while a Daily Times Chronicle report published April 23 said the Ordinance Committee sent the amendment back to the full council with clear majority support. (patch.com) (homenewshere.com) City Council committee minutes from March 30 show the legal question has narrowed to votes, not procedure: the city solicitor advised that both the ordinance change and the special permit require only a simple majority. Those minutes also say the public hearing opened Jan. 20, was continued to March 3, and then continued again to April 21. (woburnma.gov) Supporters have framed the project as housing for older residents on land that has been sitting unused, while opponents have argued Woburn should protect industrial land for jobs and tax base. The next City Council vote will decide whether that vacant 33-acre piece stays in the city’s business overlay or becomes its next senior condo development. (woburnma.gov 1) (woburnma.gov 2)