Princeton Properties Development on Chelmsford Border Leaps Final Hurdle

Princeton Properties has overcome what appears to the last major hurdle before construction of a 200 unit housing development near the Westford/Chelmsford border.

Despite what was at times a contentious process, the approval for a memorandum agreement between the town and Princeton Properties had been recommended by the Zoning Board of Agreement earlier this month.

That recommendation approved 4-0-1 by the Westford Board of Selectmen, with Selectman Jim Sullivan absent, earlier this week following conditional approval relating to legal wording surrounding town land to the south of the land parcel on South Chelmsford Road across the street from the .

According to Town Planner Angus Jennings, the concerns coming from the board related to a clause in the memorandum relating to the nullification of the memorandum if one side didn't meet their obligations.

Concerns that might happen in the future arose from Selectman Robert Jefferies, due to the descrepency between an easement and a license to build an access road on that town land parcel on South Chelmsford Road, which was required under town zoning laws for the project.

Under town laws, easements on public land require a vote of town meeting and are permanent, but wouldn't have been financially feasible under Princeton Properties' timeline. On the other hand, licenses do not require a town meeting vote, but can be revoked at any time, and if a future Board of Selectmen revoked the license, the memorandum would be violated.

Ultimately, according to Jennings, town counsel determined that concerns over the licensure issue wouldn't cause legal issues, eliminating the last obstacle to the final approval for the agreement.

Following next week's Zoning Board meeting, an appeals period will begin, and if no one appeals the permits associated with the memorandum, construction at the site can begin once the weather improves, as early as March or April.