25 West Chester Street (Catholic Charities)
At a glance
- What: petition (ZA-2026-002) to rezone the former Mercy Center / Catholic Charities site at 25 West Chester Street (about 16 acres) from RS-7 to RL-7. Filed as an Adaptive Re-use Overlay District (AROD) petition by Timothy J. McMahon for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Worcester, then amended to RL-7 after neighbor objections.
- Where it stands: Planning Board recommended it favorably 5-0 on 2026-08-26 (per auto-captions) despite strong neighbor opposition. Referred to the Economic Development Committee on 2026-09-22 (8-1).
- Next: committee hearing set for 2026-10-27, then the full City Council.
Background
- The Planning Board holds a Zoning Map Amendment public hearing and reports to the City Council.
- The Council referred the Planning Board's report to the Economic Development Committee on 2026-09-22.
The rezoning request
- Change the whole parcel from RS-7 (single-family) to RL-7 (Residence, Limited), which allows two-family by right and three-family and low-rise multifamily by special permit, plus a few institutional uses (nursing home, funeral home) by special permit.
- Original filing sought the AROD; the applicant dropped it and cut the concept from about 70-80 units to about 40 in the existing building plus 7-10 townhouses. The woodland would stay.
- Zoning history: RL-7 in 1971, downzoned to RS-7 between 1987 and 1991. Site vacant for years and run down; used by the church since 1960.
- Applicant says any building project would still need a site plan review and special permit.
Neighbor concerns
- Single access onto West Chester Street, a narrow, steep road with no sidewalks; blind corner at Barrett Avenue; crashes at the Grove Street end (state Route 122 mentioned); winter ice and plowing; school buses.
- A resident cited 311 records (mostly potholes and plowing) and about 2,000 cars a day; runoff and ledge disturbance; loss of woods and wildlife; fear of an Assumption University student-rental effect; precedent for future owners.
- One neighbor supported housing at the site as lower density than alternatives.
- Tony Economou opposed the change and asked for more discussion; District councilor involved in applicant-neighbor meetings.
Status and next steps
- Planning Board: favorable recommendation 5-0 on 2026-08-26. Members noted by-right subdivision could already yield 80 or more houses and the master plan favors gradual increases.
- City Council referred the report to Economic Development on 2026-09-22 (8-1); committee hearing set for 2026-10-27.
Discussion time
About 62 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-08-26 - Planning Board | 62 |
Log
- 2026-09-22 - City Council — Item 13a: Planning Board report on the AROD petition taken out of order for waiting residents. Tony Economou spoke; referred to Economic Development 8-1 (Economou opposed; Khrystian E. King and Jose A. Rivera abstained). Resident Bill Hughes (District 1) opposed the rezoning of the former Mercy Center site (17 acres, about 250 owner-occupied homes nearby) on traffic and road-condition grounds, citing about 4,430 vehicles a day on West Chester St. (figures as heard).
- 2026-08-26 - Planning Board - Zoning Map Amendment public hearing (item 9); favorable recommendation 5-0. Attorney Joshua Lee Smith presented a concept of about 40 apartments in the existing building plus 7-10 townhouses; staff (Olivia Houle) explained the AROD-to-RL-7 change and zoning history. About eight neighbors spoke or called in against (traffic, narrow steep West Chester Street, crashes, runoff, loss of woods, student rentals); one supported housing. Tony Economou opposed. Board members stressed it is only a recommendation and a special permit and site plan would still be required.
- 2026-08-05 - Planning Board - Postponed to August 26 on the batch motion (4-0); constructive grant deadline extended to September 17. No discussion.
- 2026-10-27 - Economic Development Committee Meeting — Committee recommended approval of the RL-7 rezoning, 3-0; councilors raised traffic on narrow steep streets, stormwater and speed humps on Inman Ave.
- 2026-10-27 - 2026-10-27 - Economic Development Committee Meeting: Captions add: petitioner dropped townhouses, proposes converting the existing building only; neighbors raised steep streets, runoff and traffic; petitioner committed to market-rate housing and a possible speed bump.