Hudson rejects Riverplace builder’s plans

By ASHLEY SMITH, Telegraph Staff

HUDSON – In a unanimous vote after a nonpublic session Wednesday night, the Hudson Planning Board decided to send plans for a massive shopping center on the Green Meadow Golf Club site back to the developer.

Because the Riverplace project impacts wetlands, W/S Development Inc. is required to get a special exception from the zoning board of adjustment before the planning board can begin its review, town planner John Cashell said.

“It’s an unfortunate situation for the developer, but they really have to follow the process, the zoning regulations,” Cashell said.

The decision is likely just a setback for W/S, according to Hudson Zoning Board Chairman Brad Seabury. If W/S acts quickly, it could be as little as a month before the zoning board is ready to issue a decision on the exception.

Reached Thursday afternoon, Riverplace project manager Ed Vydra said he had just come from a meeting with town staff.

The town requested W/S come to a planning board meeting in March to discuss the site plan process, he said.

“And that’s what we’re going to do,” Vydra said. “We’re going to do what the planning board directs us to do.”

W/S wants to build more than 2 million square feet of retail at Green Meadow. An application for the first phase of development, a 1.1-million-square-foot lifestyle center, was submitted to the planning board last month.

Lifestyle centers are open-air shopping plazas designed to resemble downtowns. Also planned for the 375-acre property: a hotel and conference center, a river walk, 600 units of housing, parks and office buildings.

At full build out, Riverplace would be home to the largest shopping center in New England.

Cashell said he knew shortly after W/S submitted the plan Jan. 19 that it was not in compliance with the Hudson zoning ordinance. Under the ordinance, the planning board cannot waive a wetlands exception. The planning board met with its attorney in closed session Wednesday night to discuss the problem and decide what action to take, Cashell said.

The vote to send the plans back came when the board returned to public session, he said.

It’s unclear whether the stacks of plans sitting in the Hudson Town Hall will physically be sent back to the developer in Chestnut Hill, Mass., or if “send back” simply means the planning board will wait to review the application.

Now, W/S needs to seek input from the conservation commission and planning board on whether the zoning board should grant the wetlands special exception. Vydra said the company has already filed paperwork for both.

According to Seabury, the zoning board will consider input from both local boards, as well as larger agencies such as the state Department of Environmental Services, before issuing a decision.

Michael Sills, the developer’s contact at the state environmental department, could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Cashell said there are between 10 and 12 areas of impact that need to be reviewed. The proposed interchange system to and from the Sagamore Bridge crosses over a wetland area and some of the proposed parking lots are within wetland buffer areas, Cashell said.

Seabury said he is surprised the problem wasn’t identified earlier.

“I was under the impression that the wetlands wouldn’t be affected until phase two. But I guess that’s not the case,” Seabury said.

As early as next month, W/S will meet with the conservation commission. According to Seabury, the board will negotiate with the company to lesson the impact of the project on wetlands.

When Wal-Mart came to town, the company was required to create wetlands in another area of town to make up for those impacted by the building, Seabury said. A similar trade is possible in this case, he said.