University Station Proposal Approved by Westwood Residents

Westwood residents voted on Monday and approved the long-debated University Station building project.

All seven articles of the University Station building proposal were approved by Westwood residents during a special session of town meeting on Monday.  Voters filled the Westwood High School gymnasium to participate in a debate on the contentious proposal and vote on the fate of the multi-million dollar project.  The University Station project includes several parts including a housing development for hundreds of potential residents as well as a shopping area featuring a supermarket and a Target store.  There are 220 residential units proposed for the event, 25 percent of which fall into the state's "affordable housing" definition, providing enough affordable housing in Westwood to satisfy the state requirement.  Supporters of the project …

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Reply to "Important University Station Information..."

"MOST importantly, I hope all will attend TM on Monday May 6th at the High School Gym. University Station is an important topic."

Important University Station Information for all Westwood Taxpayers

Westwood Resident Susan Wisialko lays out her concerns with the proposed University Station project.

Amtrak Ridership Skyrockets on Local Line

Have you noticed an increase in ridership when taking Amtrak?

Short-range Amtrak travel has soared over the past 15 years and Westwood’s Route 128 Amtrak station is a stop on the two most popular routes in the Northeast Corridor. According to a Brookings Institution report, Amtrak ridership has grown by 55% since 1997 -- most of this increase is short-distance routes (less than 400 miles). Eighty-three percent of all Amtrak ridership in 2012 was via short-distance routes. The two most popular routes in the Northeast Corridor are the Acela and Northeast Regional, which both make stops in Westwood. Both routes are slightly more than 300 miles. The Acela had 3.395 million riders in 2012 while the Northeast Regional, which makes more stops, had more than 8 million riders. That’s an increase of 1 million …

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University Station Meeting Cancelled

The next Planning Board meeting takes place on Feb. 12.

The Westwood Planning Board's scheduled meeting on the ongoing discussions on the town's University Station has been cancelled, the town website says.  The next hearing on the proposed facility will take place on Thursday where town officials will review traffic relative to the site.  Additional Planing Board meetings are scheduled for Feb. 12 and 26.  For all of our University Station coverage, head here. 

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Displeasure About University Station at School Committee Information Session

Full house attends school committee meeting for informational session on University Station. Committee members and meeting attendees seem unhappy with portions of project so far.

In front of a packed auditorium in which some people were forced to sit on the floor or stand, the developers looking to build University Station and the expert planner hired by the town spoke in front of the School Committee for the first time last night to bring them up-to-date in an informational session that left many questioned unanswered. After Planning Board chairperson Jack Wiggin gave a brief summary of what has been going on with the process and what’s expected to take place in the upcoming weeks, a representative from the developer took over and pointed out where things would be on a map. The residential part of the project, which seems to be the most controversial based on residents’ remarks and reactions, compares to a project…

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WW Resident

4:05 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013

also, there is definitely a silent population who are unopposed (or indifferent) to the plan... but I think those opposed are much more passionate and vocal about their opposition and concerns about the plan (especially the residential ccmponent)... read the minutes on the town website of the planning board meetings and you will see many, many references of residents attending the meetings and …   more ›

University Station Fiscal Analysis Presented, Debated

Developer's expert presents report, while town's expert disagrees on some methods and conclusions. Both have more work to do as the process rolls on.

The Champagne Room at Carby Street was filled up last night for the Planning Board meeting as the discussions surrounding University Station continued. Zoning bylaws were on the agenda, but the topic the majority of the room seemed most interested in was the Fiscal Impact Analysis. John Connery, the expert who prepared the Fiscal Impact Analysis for the developer, began by presenting his opinion by explaining the methodology used to determine his results. He explained how he tries to find comparable communities and projects and for the retail portion of the project he used South Shore Plaza, Burlington Mall, Derby St., Legacy Place and another place in Burlington. “[University Station] is somewhat different than the five I mentioned,” …

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Residents Express University Station Concerns to Selectmen

Residents filled the room at the Downey School to voice their concerns with the University Station development in an open forum-style setting before the Board of Selectmen.

  Over 100 Westwood residents filled the cafeteria at the Downey School last night as the Board of Selectmen held a meeting with the main topic of discussion being the University Station development. With the Planning Board and Finance and Warrant Commission also in attendance, and some residents forced to stand because there were no more chairs, the Selectmen ran the meeting as an open hearing to give residents the opportunity to voice their concerns with the project. 30 people had the chance to speak, with the most often mentioned concerns being traffic and the effects the residential portion of the project would have on the school system. “I’m glad that other people have the same concerns- housing, schools and traffic,” Pam Peckinpaugh…

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Robert Rosen

1:26 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012

Thank you again to both, Westwood Resident and Blueview Resident, for sharing your comments. Westwood Resident, I've actually attached Connery's report that was released about a week ago to this story. If you click where the photos are, there's a PDF document that you can view online right on this page. The report is long and includes many other things as well, but it does have what you're …   more ›

Planning Board Meeting Tonight at Islington Community Center

The Planning Board will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Islington Community Center to discuss traffic and transportation issues related to the University Station development.

The Planning Board will meet at the Islington Community Center tonight at 6:30 p.m. instead of at 50 Carby St. They will be discussing University Station, primarily the issues related to traffic and transportation surrounding the project. You can also visit the Town of Westwood's website for more information, including this page that allows residents to view all the University Station related documents.

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