News

FSBC Votes To Pursue One-Story Fire Station Design

(9-JUL-26) At their meeting on July 9, the Boxborough Fire Station Building Committee (FSBC) voted unanimously for the new fire station to be a one-story building instead of a two-story building.

At the beginning of the meeting, FSBC Chair Mary Brolin reminded the committee that the goal of the meeting was to decide whether to pursue a one-story or two-story building so the town’s consultant Context Architecture (“Context”) can move from the “conceptual design” phase to the “schematic design” phase. Later in the meeting, as members deliberated, Brolin reminded the group again that “it’s a difficult choice but that’s our job; we’ll make a difficult choice tonight.”

Chris Logan of Context explained that a two-story building would be about 1-2% (roughly $300,000 to $450,000) less expensive. The cost savings, he said, primarily come from the smaller footprint of a two-story building.

Boxborough Fire Department Chief John Kivlan, who could not be present at the meeting but provided comments in advance, expressed a preference for a one-story building to avoid the risks associated with a flight of stairs. However, according to Logan and Town Administrator Mike Johns, the Chief’s higher priority is the overall layout and operational “flow” of the design – including direct access to the apparatus bay “to rapidly staff and deploy,” as well as efficient access to the medical triage room.

In sharing their views before the vote, members agreed that the Chief’s operational preference for a one-story building should be prioritized. Several members also noted that although the one-story building has a higher upfront cost, there are maintenance costs associated with various elements of a two-story building (e.g., the elevator). Several members believed the one-story building to be more visually appealing as well.

With respect to the higher cost of the one-story building, Chair Brolin noted that “we will have to tighten the belt if we go this way.”

The committee then voted unanimously to design a one-story fire station, after which Logan thanked the committee for their direction and said that Context “will proceed to schematic design.”

In other business, the committee discussed their next public outreach event, a “Community Design Update” at Town Hall on Thursday, July 23 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., as well as Context’s meeting with the Boxborough Sustainability Committee on Wednesday, July 22.

Town Administrator Johns also updated the committee that the purchase and sale agreement for 984 Mass Ave has been executed, and the town remains on track for a July 17 closing.

Road Paving Work Underway; Town’s Yearly Paving Schedule Updated

(9-JUL-26) Roadworkers endured steamy temperatures last week as they began the work of paving Boxborough roads.

In addition to Middle, Cobleigh, and Depot Roads, which the town announced last week, the town’s contractor has also begun paving Guggins Lane, Boxmill Road, Prescott Road, Benjamin Drive, and Tokatawan Spring Lane.

Boxborough News reached out to Department of Public Works Director Ed Kukkula for an update and learned that the Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027) paving schedule has been revised to include all eight roads listed above. Kukkula indicated that the updated schedule will be posted on the Town’s website in the near future.

While the work is underway, roads are closed to through traffic. Local residents will still be able to access their homes and police details are stationed to assist with traffic.

For further information contact ekukkula@boxborough-ma.gov.

Town Seeks to Fill Open Positions at Police Department and Town Hall

(9-JUL-26) The town of Boxborough continues to face recruiting challenges as it seeks to fill public safety and municipal finance positions.

Currently, the town has four open positions - two at the police department and two at Town Hall. The police department is seeking to fill a police officer position and an administrative assistant position. The town’s website indicates that the police officer position was posted on December 2, 2025 and indicated a need for more than one officer.

Boxborough News reached out to Police Chief John Szewczyk about the police department vacancies. Szewczyk told us that in December 2025, there were three police officer vacancies due to the retirement of one officer and the departure of two others. However, Officers Zachary Stillman and Christopher Lowney, who had left the Boxborough Police Department to go to other municipalities, recently returned to Boxborough.

According to Assistant Town Administrator Rajon Hudson, “Stillman and Lowney expressed interest in returning to Boxborough, went through the interview process, and were selected to rejoin the team. Both officers are currently back on duty with the Police Department.” The department is currently seeking to fill only one police officer position.

When reached for comment, Szewczyk stated, "Although a nationwide shortage of Police Officers exists, the Boxborough Police Department is very fortunate to be only one sworn position below its authorized strength at this time. The continued community support and the department's positive culture have both been major selling points that help with the recruitment and retention of police officers in town.”

The open administrative assistant position at the police department, which was posted to the town’s website on June 12, 2026, is a union position and is full-time (40 hours).

At Town Hall, Rajon Hudson is seeking to fill the assistant town accountant position and an administrative assistant position in the principal assessor’s office. The administrative assistant role was recently vacated, and Hudson told Boxborough News that they “have received a few applications for this position…At this point, we don’t anticipate challenges with filling this role.”

However, filling the assistant town accountant role has been challenging. The position was first posted on April 6, 2026. When Boxborough News spoke with Hudson in June, he indicated that it is a tough position to fill because the applicant needs to have municipal finance experience. In a follow-up conversation in early July, Hudson told Boxborough News, “While municipal finance experience is certainly valuable, we are open to candidates with strong private sector finance experience. We are committed to providing the necessary training, resources, and support to help the right candidate succeed in the role. The position is a part-time role, working 19.5 hours per week, and it is a non-union position.”

While all of the town’s positions are advertised on the town’s website (boxborough-ma.gov/Jobs.aspx), the town also posts all positions through the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA). Hudson told us that MMA “has consistently been our most successful recruitment platform for attracting qualified municipal candidates.”

The town also advertises positions through professional associations and specialized job boards to broaden the outreach to qualified candidates. Hudson provided some examples: the Assistant Town Accountant position was posted through the Massachusetts Municipal Accountants Association (MMAA); the Administrative Assistant position in the Assessing Department was posted through the Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers (MAAO); and the police officer positions were advertised on law enforcement job boards. “Using both MMA and profession-specific recruitment channels helps us maximize our ability to reach qualified applicants for each position,” Hudson said.

When asked to comment on filling open positions, Hudson wrote, “Like many municipalities across the Commonwealth, the Town continues to face challenges recruiting for certain positions, particularly in public safety and municipal finance. These fields have experienced increased competition for qualified candidates, making recruitment more challenging than in previous years.

Despite these challenges, we remain committed to attracting and retaining employees who are the best fit for the Town’s needs. We continue to broaden our recruitment efforts through municipal and profession-specific job boards, while also providing the training, resources, and support necessary to help employees succeed. Our goal is not only to fill vacancies, but to build a strong, capable workforce that can continue providing high-quality services to the community.”

Planning Board Schedules Public Hearing to Correct MBTA Communities Bylaw

(9-JUL-26) At its meeting on Monday, July 6, the Planning Board began the process of correcting an error in the MBTA Communities Overlay District bylaw. As previously reported in Boxborough News (https://www.boxboroughnews.org/news#h.svr6lvva2xt), the MBTA Overlay District approved by Town Meeting in October 2025 does not meet the state’s required net density of 15 units per acre. The state compliance spreadsheet used by the town’s technical consultant was found to have miscalculated the district’s compliance by overstating the unit per acre density.

Town Planner Alec Wade informed the board that the Town remains in interim compliance and is not facing penalties so long as it continues working toward correction, and he presented two options, which he called ‘Alternative 1’ and ‘Alternative 2’, for the board’s consideration. Alternative 1 would not change the land area already approved by Town Meeting; it only changes the bylaw’s written maximum density from 13 units per acre to 17 units per acre.

Alternative 2 would revise the (district) map to include an additional single-family lot at 1178 Hill Road and would then set the bylaw maximum density at 15 units per acre instead of 17. Wade reminded the board that this parcel had been part of earlier advisory group discussions and is more readily developable than the existing district. He added that the owner of 1178 Hill Road had previously indicated no immediate interest in selling or developing the parcel.

Members discussed the pros and cons of both options. Member Mark White favored Alternative 1, framing it as a technical correction rather than a policy shift, noting that the district was already approved by Town Meeting and that simply changing the number from 13 to 17 units per acre would be the “prudent way forward for the time being.” Member Gary Kushner also favored Alternative 1 as “easier and less confusing” for Town Meeting. Planning Board Clerk Chris Dowdy favored Alternative 2 because it adds some potentially developable land and responds to prior public feedback that the original district did not include enough realistic development opportunity. However, he agreed that just changing the units per acre density “kind of solves it…That is the simplest.”

When reached for comment after the meeting, Planning Board Chair Rich Guzzardi provided the following statement. “It is important that the Board address the calculation error at the next available Town Meeting date. Last fall, Town Meeting already approved the district, so now it is a question of what is the most effective way to address the net density within or adjacent to that district. There are ways the Town can address housing, however right now it is critical that we address compliance with the State’s MBTA Communities law.”

Wade also addressed the compliance issue. "I appreciate the Commonwealth's flexibility as we work to bring our district into full compliance. My departments alone administer more than $100,000 in state-funded programs, and the Board's prompt action to correct this issue will preserve our eligibility for these essential funds and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of critical services."

At their next scheduled meeting on July 20, the Planning Board will continue their discussion of both alternatives and is encouraging the public to attend and comment. The official public hearing will be scheduled for August 3 at 7:10 p.m.

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