Update (12/19/22): The Planning Board unanimously approved the project.

The Wellesley Planning Board on Dec. 5 had a Project of Significant Impact hearing regarding the Beacon Capital Partners property at 110 Worcester St., aka Park 9, aka the ex-Sun Life building, aka the property across from the Wellesley Gateway property (see the Wellesley Media recording just after the 41-minute mark). The project focuses on the conversion of 72,000 sq. ft. of office space located in Building 3 into laboratory space (this is dubbed “core and shell” work to prep the space for labs— lab tenants themselves will customize their chunks of space).

110 Worcester St conversion — 110 Worcester St. building being converted is highlighted in red (via Richmond Group during Planning Board meeting)

When bio lab plans were aired by Beacon Capital Partners for the Wellesley Gateway property across Rte. 9 (93 Worcester St.), members of the public grilled the board and property owner on the safety of the conversion, which has since been approved by Planning. That property was closer to residential neighbors than is 110 Worcester.

No one from the public messaged the Board about or attended the Dec. 5 meeting to speak, somewhat to the surprise of at least a couple of Board members. A legal notice was posted about the original date for the hearing in November on the town website and in an obscure thing called a “print newspaper,” and postcards and emails were sent to neighbors.

The property owner met with about 10 neighbors in October, so perhaps they had their main concerns addressed during that gathering (what they really wanted was for the leaf blowing to shift to weekdays and away from the wee hours, said Jennifer Schultz, 1 of 3 lawyers identified as being on the Beacon team for this project). As said local attorney David Himmelberger, also representing the applicant, “this is pretty much a replica” of the 93 Worcester St. proposal.

The town’s engineering team did have some questions to be addressed, and an email snafu delayed sorting that out, so the hearing needed to be continued. The fire department, Municipal Light Plant, and others were good with the plan.

The Planning Board discussion on this topic is slated to pick up, and perhaps finish, on Monday, Dec. 19.