Above: Atlantic Management bought a 21 Coslin Drive next to a property they purchased earlier this winter. The new deal expands their footprint to over 30 acres in the Industrial Park Zone. (image edited from Town GIS Map)
In December, I shared news that EMC finally sold off one of the properties at its large office/industrial park area in Southborough. The company that purchased 32 Coslin Drive for $26.1M has since negotiated a deal to buy an abutting parcel.
While I’m sharing that news, I’m also providing an update on the Town’s efforts to revise zoning bylaws that could impact both parcels.
EMC’s Sales of Coslin Drive Properties
According to the Worcester Business Journal, Framingham-based Atlantic Management purchased 21 Coslin Drive for $6.9M. The property is the site of a 166,213 sq ft office building on 11.6 acres of land. It is directly across the street from the 19.76 acre property at 32 Coslin Drive.
Coslin Drive runs between Route 9 East and Crystal Pond Road on the Westborough Town border. The parcels are part of a large complex created by EMC around 2000. The WBJ recaps some of the history:
EMC originally planned on moving into a 193,228-square-foot, four-story building at 900 West Park Drive in Westborough . . . but later reversed the
decision. With later plans for Westborough-based software firm eClinicalWorks to occupy the space were impacted by the emerging trend of remote work, the building has sat unused for a quarter-century, a representation for a decline in demand for office space in the suburbs of Central Massachusetts.
Both of the Southborough properties are in the Industrial Park zone.
Zoning Changes Update
It’s worth highlighting that, the Planning Board agreed in the fall that it would work to revise the zoning language for the Industrial Park zone. The focus will be on modernizing it, including updating the allowed uses.
On January 27th, the board decided that its plate was too full with other efforts to tackle that in time for the April 7th Annual Town Meeting.
Rather than rushing the process, they postponed the effort. The board hopes they will be able to tackle the Industrial Park zoning changes in time for a Special Town Meeting in the fall.
Right now, Planning is focusing its zoning change efforts on two other Articles slated for Annual Town Meeting. They are seeking to update business parking requirements by adding a section on Shared Parking.
And they are proposing an Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) Bylaw and Regulations Article. That’s to deal with the recently enacted change to the state making some accessory apartments allowable by right.
(You can read the most recent materials posted for those in the packet for Planning’s Monday night meeting here.)
