Wrentham Prepares For Monday's Commercial District Vote

The lsdy few years have seen an effort to capitalize on the economic opportunities that exist on Route 1.

While Foxborough has greatly benefited from Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place and Planville enjoys an area of the highway that features Target, Lowes, and restaurants, the Wrentham portion has largely remained vacant with no major development.

With the economy in its current state, the town is looking for anything that can help bring jobs and an economic boost to Wrentham.

The chance to give the town when a proposal to create a highway commercial district will be up for a vote at Monday’s town meeting.

There will be seven articles to vote on at the meeting that will requite a two-thirds vote to pass. Most significant are articles nine, 10, and 15 that address what can be developed, how it is defines, and the parking situation for businesses.

If passed, article nine will amend the Wrentham Zoning Bylaws by creating a new Article 19 highway commercial district.

According to documents from the planning board, the newly created highway commercial zoning district would run on all parcels on Route 1 from the Thurston St. intersection to the Wrentham/Foxborough boarder.

In addition, it will allow the land to be used for retail establishments, restaurants, childcare, business offices, or convenience stores without gas pumps as long as the establishment has a valid site plan approved by the planning board.

Not counting chimneys, ventilators, spires, cupolas, steeples, air conditioning, and solar heating equipment, the maximum building height cannot exceed 46 Feet.

If passed, article 10 would amend the Wrentham Zoning Bylaws by inserting new definitions into article two.  It redefines the requirements of the establishments allowed in the highway commercial district.

Article 15 calls for an adjustment in the parking bylaws. The bylaw was last updated in 2009 to allow for charged and reserved parking, and to add landscaping and shade tree requirements. 

The article sets standards for parking spaces depending on the establishment. For example, restaurants would get 17-25 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area (GFA) while something larger like a shopping center would work on a scale starting with 4 spots per 1,000 square feet of GFA for buildings less that 30,000 GFA to 5.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of GFA.

With Wrentham sandwiched between Foxborough and Plainville, the proposal has the potential to attract business from shoppers that may have gone to the other two towns. Town officials are hoping that they can attract business, hotels, and retail to the area but it is something that is going to take time to develop if the articles can be approved at Monday’s town meeting. 

The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. inside the King Philip High School auditorium.

To see a map of the proposed area and a summary of the articles, click above.