[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6107766,"mediaKeyId","2772769-0d1c067413eef558765f85f75e4bdaf5","parentId",2772769,"title","School committee asks council to consider modular classrooms as stopgap; councilors ask for more analysis","audioSeconds",1452,"startMs",11178000,"endMs",12630000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772769-0d1c067413eef558765f85f75e4bdaf5&start=11178&end=12630","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772769-0d1c067413eef558765f85f75e4bdaf5/thumbnail_11178000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6107766/Woburn-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/School-committee-asks-council-to-consider-modular-classrooms-as-stopgap-councilors-ask-for-more-analysis","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107766-e79bdac7fced248196c74899875fc753/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142742&Signature=Bgr45-tqByHhG~KUSJYcmKeCQ0wsYBVWVihuaFaPC2yroxv1iGmTHxpXVTz0EdY8KqA7-NsXvy~d9YPcUQ3zzjNku86qQuvQAr3c-aC-z1FigNCKM3WkW2ijhRm48cQ38Ki0rROrRGe5EQ5T8dYQS9cS7C~BKvM-Mec5G3LHHdJBaHpZA3kJ6U7tK4~hH3KLVJy5Fcw02HFGykA8gKcERhLIlPbN~SRXu3Ql9gQeGTbnC~8ggbpdvrSzrlklcybXmoLevdJj49XoL-OlGeBUg6aNgdNwXuYWiowprGlGVAyPKpX4eat1Qqr4X0Reis3oXTmhu75kSTOw4nfq3nJqvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Woburn City, MA","date","2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Woburn School Committee presented a detailed briefing on March 18 about growing capacity problems across the district and recommended the temporary acquisition and installation of modular classrooms to house the city’s early‑childhood program (ECP) while the district pursues a longer‑term construction plan.

Ellen Crowley, chair of the Woburn School Committee, told the council the district’s preschool and special‑education programs have expanded since 2015 and that several elementary schools — notably the Harold Wyman and Goodyear — are already using non‑instructional spaces for teaching. Crowley said the committee’s ECP task force concluded the district needs additional dedicated space to meet state requirements and special‑education service grids. The committee recommended modular classrooms purchased from a district that is decommissioning them (Nauset Public Schools) as a relatively quick and cost‑effective option to free space in existing school buildings.

Superintendent Dr. Crowley and facilities director Lenny Burnham outlined estimates they had gathered: purchasing the 37 available modular units, transporting and reinstalling them and building foundations would cost in the range of about $2.7–3.5 million, with additional, site‑specific utility connections and contingencies raising the estimate toward $5 million depending on the final site and ground conditions. The committee said the units are in active use at Nauset, have heating and air conditioning, restrooms and dedicated classroom spaces, and a life expectancy the district was told of roughly 20–25 years; the committee described the acquisition as an asset purchase that could be resold later.

Councilors asked for more analysis and independent reviews. Several councilors said they were not prepared to authorize or recommend $5 million without a more detailed cost breakdown, utility and site studies, structural review of the specific modular units, and clear fiscal plans showing how the city would pay for purchase and installation without eroding reserves that factor into the city’s bond rating. Councilor DeMers and others asked whether alternative measures — including broader redistricting, temporary use of existing municipal or nonprofit buildings, a move to full‑day ECP taught in fewer days per week, or use of the Boys & Girls Club or other commercial space — had been fully exhausted. School officials said they had explored many options but concluded they did not provide the district‑wide capacity or the special‑education‑appropriate spaces required by state regulations.

Public comment at the hearing included parents, teachers, and residents from across Woburn. Teachers’ union representatives said classroom crowding and instruction in hallways are occurring now and urged a timely remedy. Parents of children in ECP programs, and citizens speaking for the Woburn Historical Commission and neighborhood groups, urged careful vetting and suggested alternate approaches including preserving or reusing existing assets if feasible. Several residents also asked whether redeveloping the Wyman Castle or other city‑owned properties could be an alternative long‑term solution.

Outcome and next steps: The council received the committee’s PowerPoint and made it part of the permanent record. After council discussion and public comment, the council voted to place the matter on file (no funding was approved at the meeting). Councilors requested additional, project‑specific cost details, independent technical reviews of any candidate modular units, and a site‑selection study before any commitment. School staff said they will return with more detailed cost breakdowns, utility and foundation estimates for candidate sites, and clearer operating‑cost projections for any modular option.

Ending: The presentation clarified the district’s immediate space pressures and established the School Committee’s preference for a temporary modular solution while pursuing a long‑term school construction timeline (MSBA process estimated several years). Councilors uniformly asked for more independent engineering review and precise fiscal options before considering any capital commitment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Woburn City Council 3/18/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Woburn School Committee presented a district‑wide capacity review and recommended buying modular classrooms as a temporary measure to house growing early‑childhood and special‑education programs; the council asked for independent technical reviews and a detailed fiscal plan before any commitment.","taxTitle","Woburn City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",78425,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107774,"Residents and councilors press developer to scale back Central Square overlay; hearing continued to April 15",1680,4380000,6060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772769-0d1c067413eef558765f85f75e4bdaf5&start=4380&end=6060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772769-0d1c067413eef558765f85f75e4bdaf5/thumbnail_4380000.jpg","/articles/6107774/Woburn-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Residents-and-councilors-press-developer-to-scale-back-Central-Square-overlay-hearing-continued-to-April-15","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107774-a90f05107ff47a5fa56d73e0efb276e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142742&Signature=KjMvwMmtGK8DYadP1JFfY9ZOFTt~hCWhZkTIjGh7WD3UbdJusRZb~oGbKsF0Md8YZrJEkcF7giM7wv6GvaOyRdS6ofEwexWbdrhwq78~ffLzdVEdDZrHUWQgmTvh4oM~dM-feAa9oXXNURHiBYDwq773Mi9mcvHH2RRWje-pVaxgQWgdqc~n7WlKOaCMvKwbTVcpaU~jdNi9K2FfxhI-zR3UbL5Qubgyjm~IkgzKFgORJd3kvxl1Fj7tp~BvRc2yue-~FkerPB2xynH-fzGbsu40IPL1hTXcp5QnEQuyQAwsBLfLyMEfcAAnIm6j-vE4Ye1NOBSY29GHqFIwqApkOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A drawn-out public hearing at the Woburn City Council on March 18 focused on a proposed Central Square Overlay District and a pending development by Gustavo Realty (referred to at the hearing as the Tocci/Hitachi proposal). The council opened a broad public comment period that included detailed concerns about density, traffic, flooding and the condition of existing homes on Main Street.

The planning board forwarded a favorable recommendation on March 11 that included edits and conditions. Attorney Joseph Tabby, speaking for the applicant, told the council he would prepare a response with changes that could include fewer units, more on-site parking, limits on ground coverage and an elimination of ground-mounted solar arrays other than roof-mounted systems. Tabby asked the council to continue the hearing so he could submit a revised overlay and supporting materials; the council voted to continue the public hearing to April 15 so the planning/ordinance committees can review the petitioner’s response.

Why it matters: The proposal covers roughly six acres around Wyman Green and would substantially change the Main Street streetscape if approved. Neighbors, preservationists, and multiple councilors said the current proposal is too dense and would worsen traffic and flooding. Supporters said the project could revitalize a run‑down area and bring mitigation — such as intersection reconfigurations and stormwater improvements — that would not happen without a coordinated redevelopment plan.

During the hearing, residents and neighborhood advocates described persistent flooding on Hart Street, claimed long-running neglect of several Main Street houses now owned by the petitioner, and warned of worsening traffic on Clinton, Eaton and Main streets. John Hessel of Clinton Street, who described himself as a third‑generation Central Square resident, urged the council to adopt the overlay so the community could require mitigation and community benefits; others argued the overlay would be “spot zoning” and too permissive on height and density.

Council members pressed the applicant for concrete changes. Councilor Simone (chair of the ordinance committee) asked the petitioner to reduce height and density; Councilor Popolato and Councilor Demers asked for clearer commitments on parking and stormwater. Councilor D’Amambo and others urged more community meetings and stronger limits in the ordinance language so the overlay would not be used to approve a plan residents find unacceptable.

Tabby told the council the applicant would prepare a formal response to the planning board’s recommended edits, including revised renderings and a reduced unit count, and asked to move the hearing to April 15 so the city and the public could review the updated materials. The council granted that continuance and also directed staff to share the planning board recommendation and the petitioner’s forthcoming response with the ordinance committee.

Ending: The council did not vote on the overlay itself. Instead the hearing was continued to April 15 to allow the petitioner, Joseph Tabby, to submit revised plans in response to the planning board and council questions and to allow committee review and additional public input. The council also requested the petitioner’s updated materials be circulated to councilors and to planning staff before the next hearing.

","Developers, residents and councilors debated a proposed Central Square Overlay District and a large redevelopment plan. The planning board sent a favorable recommendation with edits; the petitioner agreed to revise plans and the council continued the public hearing to April 15 to allow the applicant to respond and for additional committee review.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107761,"Woburn City Council: votes and referrals from March 18 meeting",9850,950000,10800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772769-0d1c067413eef558765f85f75e4bdaf5&start=950&end=10800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772769-0d1c067413eef558765f85f75e4bdaf5/thumbnail_950000.jpg","/articles/6107761/Woburn-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Woburn-City-Council-votes-and-referrals-from-March-18-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107761-000c35c0588f00bed0f4bbfe1d6378cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142742&Signature=atzcCsEnWCVht1ptcxieIUhgqbQNREqYQACx4SC4EwQHpGqYPlaNrr2JoGHnMhHjJrgxdFr3En42Sf-lW0XVPG0jeKFDttDdosbvIxILbyR~EHsM1s0miD8jjwdSpZQGeMLY6X7U5~MfUQSR7wnfeRESgvmzlW4E9BL0aN4tnfGIvmi-TdF1~yE7L1UVsI7TWSCAjbLU-HU7WjqgYW-Ho4OZsn4VhfZVEWqLCPZILJXkhgL1KB7HY-n2kUcqjgj9x3z~OMQe8Rxa5VR236K0tMpShJin2aMx-OYXEIh2Oinn8Z3Ob7~w~7JxmBBSqBoBxazlF9~ipLJz1xrhNj9RYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Woburn City Council voted on many routine and substantive items at its March 18 regular meeting. Below are the formal outcomes recorded during the meeting, summarized for clarity. (This list includes actions taken on agenda petitions and formal votes recorded in the public record.)

Votes at a glance

- Ceremonial: Two resolves recognizing recent Eagle Scout attainments (Lucas Crispo and Connor Wilson) — council adopted both resolves by voice vote.

- Finance referrals: Transfers to salary accounts — orders to transfer $40,000.81 and $129,190.23 were each referred to the Committee on Finance (motions and seconds; voice votes carried).

- Code and salary: An order to amend Woburn Municipal Code section 2‑180 (non‑union salaries) was referred to the Committee on Ordinance, Charter and Rules (motion carried).

- Property deeds/easements: Orders to grant by deed Lot A on Forest Park Circle to Judith Balistrieri and Lot B to William and Lisa Booker were referred to the Committee on Infrastructure and Public Lands; an order to grant a five‑foot easement at 38 Central Street was similarly referred (motions carried).

- Special events and permits: The Boys & Girls Club special event permit for a road race and health walk on May 4, 2025 (Charles Gardner Lane and area streets) was granted (motion carried). Several new special‑permit petitions were referred to public hearings, including 1 20 Commerce Apartments LLC (120 Commerce Way), A & A Window Products (7 Constitution Way, amendment), Moving Abna Bazaar Inc. (335 Washington Street), and a municipal special permit request at 2 Henshaw Street (City of Woburn) — motions to refer to public hearing carried.

- Planning/referrals: A proposed zoning amendment on outdoor dining and related changes (petitioned by Councilor Demers et al.) was referred to public hearing and to the Planning Board (motion carried).

- 288 Mishawam Road (Bright Path childcare / minor modification): The council granted a minor modification to remove condition 15 (related to school‑zone signage) after the applicant reported traffic commission review and requested the change (motion and vote carried).

- City Hall annex, 6 Common Street (municipal use special permit): The council opened a public hearing, heard from the city solicitor and a neighbor (Pastor Freddie Bafuka) who requested deed‑restriction protections. The council voted to condition the special permit on honoring deed restrictions (including “office use only,” limits on hours and height constraints referenced in the deed), and then closed the hearing and granted the special permit (vote recorded: 8 in favor, 1 opposed on record).

- Fire Station, 38 Central Street (municipal use special permit): The public hearing was opened and closed with public comment in favor from an abutter; the council granted the special permit provided an easement to the neighbor is executed and recorded (motion carried).

- Spray Park bathroom building (60 Green Street) – municipal use special permit: The council opened and closed the public hearing and granted the special permit (motion carried).

- Chelsea Glenbrook LLC (200 Bedford Road) — special permits under multiple sections (including non‑conforming structures): The council accepted the planning department’s favorable recommendation and granted special permits with the stated conditions (motions carried).

- Tesla petitions (300 Mishawam Road and 425 Washington Street): Petitions and related Eversource/Anstar location work were continued to the May 6 regular meeting for additional materials/continuances at petitioner request (motions carried to continue).

- Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) zoning amendment (state model language / 760 CMR guidance): The council referred the draft ordinance to the Committee on Ordinance, Charter and Rules and continued the matter to allow committee review and updated state guidance to be incorporated; councilors asked staff and the city solicitor for updated language prior to the committee meeting (motion carried).

- Central Square Overlay (Gustavo Realty): Planning Board recommendation received; public hearing continued to April 15 for petitioner to submit a revised response (motion carried).

- Committee reports and administrative actions: Finance committee reports adopting transfers to settle a fire‑union contract ($740,283.75 transferred from unreserved fund balance to pay a contract settlement) and another transfer totaling $62,700 were adopted; a lease with Cummings Properties for temporary relocation of Fire Station #4 (4F Henshaw Street) was approved; multiple appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions were referred to the appropriate committees or approved per committee report (motions carried).

- School committee presentation and modulars: The council received the School Committee PowerPoint and made it part of the permanent record; the council then placed the matter on file and requested additional cost/site/technical analysis before any capital appropriation (motion carried).

Procedural notes

Many items on the agenda were routine referrals to committee or public hearing; several contested items (notably the Central Square overlay and the school modular proposal) generated extended public comment and were continued for further study. Where recorded, vote tallies were included in the meeting minutes (for example the City Hall annex special permit vote, 8‑1).

Ending: The council handled a mix of routine referrals and contested hearings; where petitioners sought continuances (Tesla, AnStar) or were asked for revisions (Central Square), the council continued the matters to future meetings and requested supplemental materials and committee review.","At its March 18 meeting the Woburn City Council approved multiple committee referrals and special permits, granted ceremonial resolutions and continued several commercial petitions to later hearings. This roundup lists the formal actions recorded on the docket and short descriptions of each outcome.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

School committee asks council to consider modular classrooms as stopgap; councilors ask for more analysis

Residents and councilors press developer to scale back Central Square overlay; hearing continued to April 15

Woburn City Council: votes and referrals from March 18 meeting