Hocomonco Pond committee unveils proposal for walking trails
Robbins lays out plans for retirement
Schools take first step toward SHS expansion
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Vol. 49 | No. 12 | March 24, 2023
Colonials victorious
Planning Board approves over-55 development for Greenbriar Drive By Bill Gilman Senior Reporter SHREWSBURY – Developers of a proposed over-55 housing development near the intersection of Greenbriar Drive and Cypress Avenue have cleared a major hurdle but not without a significant concession. At a March 16 special meeting, the Planning Board voted to grant site plan approval and a special permit to Cypress Avenue Development Partners LLC for its project at 1 Greenbriar Drive. The votes were 4-0 on each motion, with board member Stephan Rodolakis not in attendance. The newest version of the plans for the project calls for 48 units, which will be made up of a combination of single units and duplexes. When first proposed a year ago, the plans called for 66 units. That was then cut to 60 over the summer. Facing continued opposition from the board, the developers scaled back the project to 53 units. But at its Feb. 2 meeting, members of the Planning Board stood united in their opposition, calling for further unit reduction. Cutting the project to 48 units was enough to win board approval. “Where units were duplexes, we changed duplexes down to individual units, which allowed us to separate the units a little more and make [the development] less dense than what it was,” said John Grenier, principal at J.M. Grenier Associates, the Shrewsburybased engineering firm working with the developers. The new iteration of the project also elimi-
Greenbriar Drive | 11
BOSTON – After punching their ticket to the MIAA Division 1 state championship for the first time, the Shrewsbury High School girls hockey team emerged victorious. The Colonials, who were the No. 3 seed in the division, faced off against No. 1 seed St. Mary’s High of Lynn at TD Garden on March 19. Ultimately, Shrewsbury beat the Spartans 4-1. “Words can’t describe how I feel right now, I’m so proud of these girls,” said Coach Frank Panarelli. “I knew we had the team to do it this year. I kept telling them to buy in, work hard in practice, that’s why, in the third period, I think it showed we were in better shape than them. I’m just so proud of these girls, I don’t know where to start.” Read more coverage on Page 15.
Shrewsbury senior Maddie Mrva, left, celebrates her third-period goal. The Colonials became state champions after beating St. Mary’s in the finals.
PHOTO/BILL GILMAN
Regional School Committee approves $7.9M for Algonquin athletics complex project By Evan Walsh Reporter NORTHBOROUGH – The Regional School Committee unanimously voted March 15 to allocate $7,960,393 toward renovating and remodeling Algonquin Regional High School’s
athletic facilities. For years, the athletic complex has been in desperate need of extensive renovation. While the operational budget includes yearly maintenance to keep the facilities usable, they are currently well beyond their useful life, according to district officials.
Algonquin | 14
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