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The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

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8 townhouses planned alongside Wellesley Square railroad tracks
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Business Buzz—the Business Liaison is baaaack—and so is Wellesley in Bloom

April 24, 2026 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass. business news: 

Wellesley Select Board reinstates Business Liaison role

Wellesley Town Hall
Wellesley Town Hall in bloom

In a move aimed at revitalizing communication between local government and the private sector, the Wellesley Select Board officially reinstated the Business Liaison position this month.

The role, which had been phased out in January 2023, traditionally served as a bridge between a Select Board member and the Wellesley business community to act as a primary point of contact for Town Hall staff.

Chair Marjorie Freiman announced the reinstatement during the April 14 Select Board meeting, confirming that Beth Sullivan Woods has been appointed to the role. Sullivan Woods is no stranger to the responsibilities, having previously served as the liaison before the position was discontinued three years ago.

As the designated “conduit of information,” Sullivan Woods’ primary focus will be ensuring that the needs and concerns of the business community are heard by town government. She will provide regular updates to both the Select Board and Corey Testa, the Town’s Assistant Executive Director. 


Wellesley In Bloom starts Saturday, May 2

Wellesley In BloomStarting May 2, Wellesley comes alive with Wellesley in Bloom, a town-wide celebration of spring featuring floral fun, pop-up experiences, and creative collaborations throughout Wellesley’s shopping areas.

Now in its second year, Wellesley in Bloom invites you to stroll through town and discover unexpected moments of beauty, creativity, and local charm.

From floral displays and art installations to more than 50 pop-up experiences and seasonal surprises, businesses and community organizations across Wellesley will bring the spirit of spring to life. Don’t miss the Mahjong & Canasta Social pop up on May 2, at black & blue Steak and Crab, 65 Central St. Mahjong: 10:30am–12:30pm & Canasta: 1:30pm 3:30pm.

About Wellesley in Bloom

Funded by a state grant, the purpose of Wellesley in Bloom is to hold an event that creates a positive community experience and fosters business collaborations.


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Filed Under: Business

     

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Planning

Wellesley Lower Falls area to get a study of its own

April 24, 2026 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Planning Board earlier this month discussed commissioning a visioning study of the Lower Falls Village area, which is ripe for redevelopment in light of large properties changing hands already or expected to before long (see Wellesley Media recording of the April 13 Planning Board meeting, about 10 minutes in). It’s also a challenging area in that it is nearby major highways and plagued by traffic.

This study would be separate, but related to, recent studies like the Strategic Housing Plan and future ones, like a new Comprehensive Plan. A draft request for proposals (RFP) is in the works, and served as a jumping off point for the April 13 discussion (the study could cost up to $50k). A study of this area was conducted in the 1990s.

Brad Downey, interim planning director, said in a follow-up email exchange that “The genesis of this particular study is the result of a few factors: increased activity and involvement from neighbors on future development in the Lower Falls area following the two RIOs proposed at Fall 2024 Town Meeting, as well as the pending sale of many of the Haynes Management properties in that area, which are to be sold to another property owner, likely for redevelopment. The increased neighborhood interest as well as increased likelihood of future development were the two key factors the Planning Board had in mind when considering this study.”

It remains to be seen how soon the RFP will be finalized and issued. Asked about a timeline for issuing the RFP, Downey said at the meeting that “I don’t think there is a particular rush.”)


It can be challenging to keep track of what’s coming up at Wellesley town government meetings. We try to help by posting an agenda preview each week that highlights items we think might be of interest, as we did with this study (See: “Wellesley town government meetings for week of April 13, 2026: Town Meeting debriefs; Lower Falls Area Study Discussion”). Sign up for our free weekday email newsletter to stay plugged in.


The funding for this project comes from the Planning Department operating budget, which typically includes $50,000 each year for retaining professional services, such as planning consulting services to conduct studies.

Toward the beginning of the Planning Board’s discussion, member Jim Roberti shared a map of the Lower Falls area (to be defined as part of the RFP process) to illustrate the hodgepodge of zoning districts within this part of town. There’s business, industrial, Lower Falls Village, Residential Incentive Overlay (RIO), and other zoning in the area covering Walnut, River, and Washington Streets.

Lower falls zoning
Lower Falls zoning map

 
This section of Wellesley has been at the epicenter of discussions at Town Meeting and beyond in recent years about RIOs due to proposed multi-family housing projects that many neighbors opposed for density, traffic, and other reasons. Also, arguments were made that efforts to eliminate RIOs from some parts of town might unfairly burden other parts, namely Lower Falls (Annual Town Meeting recently voted to eliminate RIOs from all districts, not including the four previously approved RIO projects).

In discussing the proposed Lower Falls study, Roberti said “I guess the question’s going to come: Why are we doing this? Are we doing it to restrict this area so less things can be developed? Or are we doing it to regulate what’s going to be built or are we going to encourage more to be built?” Roberti said he’d also been asked about whether Planning envisions doing traffic studies, and he wondered about whether funding would even be available for that.

Board member Ed Chazen asked how this study might fit with a broader Comprehensive Plan the town plans to undertake (it failed to get funding at Annual Town Meeting, but proponents will be back with another request). The Comprehensive Plan would succeed the dated Unified Plan, a long-range vision for future land use, development, and growth across town. The Planning Board’s Tom Taylor said he’d see the Lower Falls plan as being more detailed, getting into issues like traffic flow and parking (maybe turning parking lanes into traffic lanes during certain hours, like in Wellesley Hills, or decking the municipal parking lot on River Street).

“The elephant in the room is the Haynes property that sits right through the middle of this,” Taylor said. “We can have all sorts of great ideas and they can just say forget it, I’m going to build by right…”

Chazen urged that the town get into conversations with the big property owners in the area sooner than later to help ensure that this gateway into town is developed thoughtfully. While many properties are owned by Haynes, or have been sold by Haynes to others, there are also other established property owners in the area (such as at 1 Washington St. along the Charles River) that would need to be looped in.

Roberti pointed out that this a “commercial/business/industrial area that butts right up to a residential area…and I think one of the problems with the RIO is that there wasn’t enough buffer between the improved or changed use and the current residential.”

The board talked as well about needing to get neighborhood input in advance of issuing the RFP and/or as part of the study.

This study would roll out even as new developments proceed in Lower Falls, including a multi-family housing complex at 49 Walnut St., and a First Citizens Bank branch at 26 Washington St. where Taylor Rental used to be.


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Filed Under: Business, Government, Housing

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Volunteers needed for Dressing of the Graves in Wellesley

April 24, 2026 by admin Leave a Comment

The Veterans Services department is seeking volunteers to help place American flags on Veteran graves in Wellesley in preparation for Memorial Day.

The annual Dressing of the Graves event recognizes the bravery and sacrifice of departed individuals who served our country.

Dressing of the Graves will take place Thursday, May 7, 3pm, at Woodlawn Cemetery, 148 Brook Street. Volunteers should meet at the flag pole. Supplies are provided by the West Suburban Veterans District. No registration required.

Dressing of the Graves, Wellesley
Friends of Wellesley Veterans Board Member Chris Cavallerano instructs members of the Wellesley Lacrosse Team prior to placing flags on all veterans’ graves at Woodlawn Cemetery. Photo by Friends of Wellesley Veterans.
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Filed Under: Community, Military

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Friday is letters-to-the-editor day—read what Wellesley Middle School students have to say

April 24, 2026 by Deborah Brown

Wellesley Middle School Social Studies students as part of a Civics Action Project have this week taken over The Swellesley Report‘s letters-to-the-editor page. The students are well-versed in their topics, have carefully researched all angles, and are ready to present their opinions to the community. Thank you to the WMS Social Studies teachers for organizing this community-based project.

Thanks to WMS Social Studies head Adam Blumer, and to the entire social studies department, for spearheading this important civics project.

We’ll publish several letters per week.

In this week’s letters from the middle schoolers:

  • Centennial Park’s natural space is in danger of development
  • We need to get students off their iPads and back to experiential learning
  • Stating a case for driving an electric vehicle

And a letter from the wider community:

  • MassBay Forest is under threat from “high-density urban-style housing”

You can see all the letters here.

How many Fridays are we going to encourage this display of civic involvement? For as many as it takes for the WMS Social Studies students to air their opinions.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

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New Wellesley housing development proposed: 8 townhomes just off Linden Street near train station

April 23, 2026 by Bob Brown 3 Comments

10 Railroad Street housing
10 Railroad St. townhouse rendering by MGD+ (shown from Linden Street and from above)

Plans for eight attached townhomes, including two affordable units, are being aired before the Wellesley Design Review Board later this month for 10 Railroad St.

The three-story development, if approved, would rise at the current parking lot off of Linden Street alongside the railroad tracks near the Wellesley Square train station. This is located behind the Takara restaurant and Goddard School, and just east of the 35-unit Terrazza condo complex across the street.

The 10 Railroad St. property, along with the 151-159 Linden Street commercial property, changed hands in a multimillion dollar deal last summer.

The development at 10 Railroad St. would be the second proposed housing plan in town under the MBTA Communities Law, which Wellesley complied with in 2024 and allows by right development to encourage new housing near public transportation. The first such project proposed is on Laurel Avenue across from the Wellesley Hills train station.

Wellesley is seeing an influx of multi-tenant and other housing developments, both spurred by state actions like the MBTA Communities Law and Affordable Homes Act, and as a result of oodles of office properties changing hands or going on the market. The town also commissioned a strategic housing plan designed to help it strategize for more diverse housing.

The 10 Railroad St. project, to feature varied brick veneer facing Railroad St., is located within the Industrial A Zoning District and the MBTA Overlay District. The applicant intends to file for Site Plan Review, which would meaning going through the Zoning Board of Appeals (it does not need to go through the Planning Board as part of the MBTA Communities process).

According to the applicant, each three-bedroom unit will have its own outdoor space surrounded by an 6-foot fence, to create separation from the railroad tracks. Units will have their own garages in the basement (room for two vehicles in market rate units, one vehicle in affordable ones). The development will be fully electric, and include support for possible solar panels. Units boast about 3,800 sq. ft. of space; the affordable units lack a third floor deck found in the other units.

Pricing has not been revealed.


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Filed Under: Housing

Rotary Club, Taste of Wellesley

Coming soon: Wellesley in Bloom starts May 2nd

April 23, 2026 by admin

Wellesley in Bloom

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Filed Under: Sponsored

Geology Walk: adventure through time at Hemlock Gorge with Wellesley Conservation Land Trust

April 23, 2026 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley’s own rock star, Chris Crowley will unearth the past during a geological expedition through Hemlock Gorge on Saturday, April 25, at 10am. Meet at the Echo Bridge trail head across from 27 Hamilton Place, Needham. There is a small parking lot at the trailhead.

Wellesley Conservation Land Trust
Chris Crowley, WCLT geology enthusiast

Sure, Hemlock Gorge as a scenic spot for a weekend stroll, but did you know that just below the trail’s surface lies the remnants of a  fascinating prehistoric past? Chris will peel back the layers of deep time, examining bedrock formations and the visible scars left by ancient glacial movements.

“If you have never been to the gorge, it is a gem,” Chris says. “There are terrific exposures of Roxbury Puddingstone and dramatic views of the Charles River and several dams.”

Registration is required. Participants are encouraged to wear sturdy walking shoes and bring water.

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Filed Under: Education, Environment, Hikes

Legal Notice

Town of Wellesley: 2026 Special Town Meeting

April 23, 2026 by admin Leave a Comment

The Select Board will convene a Special Town Meeting on Monday, May 11, at 7:00 P.M at the Wellesley High School Auditorium, 50 Rice Street. The Warrant for the Special Town Meeting will close at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 2026.

Any person desiring to have an article included in the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting shall submit a petition signed by not less than one hundred (100) registered voters of the Town. Any such petition shall be submitted to the Town Clerk for signature verification.

After being signed by the Select Board, the full text of the Special Town Meeting Warrant will be available from the Select Board Office located at 525 Washington Street and will be posted at the Town Clerk’s Office at 525 Washington Street, Police Station at 485 Washington Street and on the Town’s website (www.wellesleyma.gov).

Motions to be offered to the Special Town Meeting must be submitted digitally to the Select Board Office at sel@wellesleyma.gov by 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

WELLESLEY SELECT BOARD

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Filed Under: Government, Town Meeting

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Upcoming Wellesley events

Upcoming Events

Apr 24
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Theatre production—”Hurricane Diane” at Wellesley College

Apr 25
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Wellesley Conservation Land Trust Geology Walk

Apr 25
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Drug take back day at Wellesley Police Department

Apr 25
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Wellesley College Guild of Carillonneurs to perform Change Ringing concert

Apr 25
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Theatre production—”Hurricane Diane” at Wellesley College

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