CHELMSFORD — A major proposed residential development project on the former UMass Lowell West Campus has undergone several changes since developers unveiled their original design in May, thanks to feedback from the town and abutters.
At a public informational meeting held Tuesday night at Chelmsford High School, representatives from Trammell Crow Residential, the proponent of the project, explained the most recent iteration of the design proposal, which moved several buildings, included conservation land and added a playground.
“These projects work because we interact with you and we hear the things you’re worried about that we couldn’t hope to understand or know about,” said Mark Baranski, vice president of development for the Northeast at Trammell Crow, at the meeting. “Some of the problems we can solve; some of the problems, I’ll be perfectly honest with you, we can’t solve. We may not be able to say yes to your questions, but we are certainly going to try.”
The development, located at 255 Princeton St., is known as Alexan Chelmsford, and would include 394 units across five multifamily buildings and five duplex townhomes. Two four-story buildings will include a total of 282 studio, one-bed, two-bed and three-bed units; two three-story buildings will include 48 total one-bed and two-bed units with a shared elevator; and each townhome unit will have three bedrooms.
The remaining 54 one-bedroom units will be in a three-story building operated by Choice Housing Opportunities for Intergenerational and Community Endeavors Inc. (CHOICE, a nonprofit connected to the Chelmsford Housing Authority), and would be income- and age-restricted. Baranski said these units would be set aside for residents at least 55 and over, but the developers hope to up that age to 62.5 and over.
While the development is not a Chapter 40B project, because that would preclude the company from building age-restricted housing, those 54 units would bring Chelmsford across the 10% subsidized housing index threshold to prevent future 40B projects from being built in town.
The buildings left over from when UMass Lowell owned the property have already been demolished. The proposed development would largely remain on the area where they once stood, and the developers have proposed putting a conservation restriction on 6.5 acres that contain forest and wetlands.
“The vision for this project has always been that we will disrupt those areas that have already been disrupted,” Baranski said. “Those areas that already had structure or had already been defoliaged will be the areas that we will be building, and general the areas that are untouched, because they have wetlands or because they have really wonderful nature and tree foliage, we’re going to touch those as little as possible.”
The property will also include a private wastewater treatment plant, as the town’s municipal sewer system does not have the capacity to take on the large development.
Major concerns voiced by members of the audience at the meeting included protecting the natural environment on the property and traffic and parking issues. The development includes 593 parking spaces, and developers have proposed a traffic demand management plan that includes ample bicycle storage, transit pass subsidies, pedestrian infrastructure such as adding a flashing beacon at the main crosswalk on Princeton Street and other measures.
Dan Dumais of MDM Transportation, a consultant who performed a traffic study on the area, said that they expect the project to add about 135 trips during the morning peak hour and 165 during the evening peak hour to the surrounding roads.
“This is a moderately generating project that can be accommodated by the area roads,” Dumais said.
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 8, to gather resident input on the project. A Special Town Meeting will also be held to approve a zoning overlay district to allow the project. A date has not been set for the meeting, but it is expected to be held in late January.
If approved by Town Meeting, the project will go through a 90-day review by the state attorney general. Baranski said that if all goes well, the project should begin construction in the first quarter of 2023 and be at full occupancy in late 2025 or early 2026.
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Residents hear plans for Alexan Chelmsford housing development - Lowell Sun
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