Campus 44 - Information for the Public

About the Project

Campus 44 is a commercial subdivision located on Routes 44 and 28 in Middleborough, Massachusetts. The property was formed out of five existing parcels. The project is being developed by VMD Companies.

The subdivision contains five building lots. Four of the lots, located in the interior of the site along the proposed internal road, are suitable for commercial buildings serving uses including manufacturing, distribution, research and development, and more. The fifth lot can acommodate a smaller retail or commercial business on West Grove Street.

Located several minutes from from the intersection of Route 28, Route 44, and Interstate 495, and surrounded by numerous existing businesses and amenities, the property is well-positioned to attract businesses that will provide jobs and tax revenue for the Town of Middleborough.

Site Plan

Project Map

Environmental Justice

Welcome to Campus 44's Environmental Justice section, which provides information pertaining to Campus 44's development specific to its proximity to two Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, as delineated by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA).

While there are no EJ communities within one mile of the Project Site, there are two within the extended five-mile radius. Census Tract 5423.02 in Middleborough is characterized by income, and Census Tract 9802 in Bridgewater is characterized by minority. VMD's focus on community engagement and sustainable practices is integral to this development. A public meeting was held on Zoom on July 17th, 2024 to discuss the project. A recording of the meeting is available here.

A second public meeting was held at the Middleborough Public Library on December 16, 2024 and on Zoom. A recording of that meeting is available here.

Although the project is not anticipated to have disproportionately adverse effects on the EJ communities, there will be impacts on the Project’s surroundings. These include an estimated increase of 4,376 total vehicle trips to and from the Project Site during and after construction. This change will have an affect air quality and traffic patterns in the surrounding areas. Additionally, 41.26 acres of impervious surface will be added, along with minor alterations to bordering vegetated wetlands and other wetlands. The development will also create new jobs, increase tax revenue for the municipality, and optimize stormwater systems for each new building.

To mitigate these impacts, we are committed to a range of measures designed to minimize environmental disruption and support community well-being:

  • Avoiding impacts to wetlands to the maximum extent possible
  • Limiting buffer zone impacts and minimizing wetland alterations
  • Implementing on-site mitigation for disturbances
  • Establishing a Transportation Demand Management Program for onsite employees and visitors to reduce the number of vehicle trips generated by the project
  • Incorporating high-efficiency building systems, including EV charging stations, high-efficiency building envelopes, lighting, and solar-ready roofs
  • Designing low-impact stormwater systems
  • Planting trees within EJ communities
  • Routing trucks to minimize travel distance through EJ areas
  • Evaluating deed/conservation restrictions on the remaining open space of the project site

    • We invite you to explore the information available here. More opportunities for comment will be available as permitting continues.

    Steps Completed

    Following a public hearing and a vote of support by the Planning Board, Middleborough residents voted at the April 2022 annual town to amend the zoning for the Commercial Development District, which covers the site. Under the revised zoning, which passed with more than 90% support at the town meeting, a variety of commercial and industrial uses may be approved on the site by special permit.

    The wetlands on the site were delineated in two separate public hearings held by the Conservation Commission. The first public hearing, held from summer of 2022 to January of 2023, reviewed the delineation on three of the existing parcels. The second, held from May to October of 2023, reviewed the delineation on the remaining two parcels. Each hearing included a peer review from a wetlands scientist representing the town.

    In November of 2023, the Planning Board held a public hearing and voted to approve the Preliminary Subdivision Plan for the site, a step required for the filing of the Definitive Subdivision Plan.

    In February of 2024, the Planning Board opened a public hearing for the Definitive Subdivision Plan for the site. This hearing involved more extensive review of the project's traffic and environmental impacts, and engineering review by the town and two outside peer reviewers. The Board voted to approve the Definitive Subdivision Plan in October of 2024. This approval created the five new building lots and permitted the construction of the new internal roadways, Canopy Drive and Timber Drive. A Conservation Commission hearing held in parallel with the subdivision hearing resulted in the issuance of an Order of Conditions for the roadway construction.

    In the spring of 2024, the project team filed an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). During the ENF process, the project team met with local and state agencies and received initial feedback on the project scope. The state MEPA office issued an ENF certificate in May of 2024, which contained written feedback from public agencies and other stakeholders and provided scoping for a subsequent Environmental Impact Report (EIR) filing. The project team filed a Draft Environmental Impact Review (DEIR) in September and received the DEIR certificate in November. The project's MEPA documents are available on the Environmental Monitor website here.

    Current Activities

    Following the state's issuance of the MEPA DEIR certificate, the project team held a second public meeting in accordance with the MEPA Environmental Justice protocol. The team is assembling materials for the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), which will be filed shortly.

    Following the approval of the Definitive Subdivision Plan, the project team has been developing more detailed site drawings for Lots 1 and 2, and expects to return to the Planning Board and Conservation Commission in early 2025 to permit the buildings and site improvements proposed for those lots.

    Next Steps

    The MEPA process for the project will continue with the filing of the FEIR, and will conclude upon receipt of comments from the MEPA office and other stakeholders and the issuance of the FEIR certificate.

    The proposed subdivision road will intersect Route 28 (West Grove Street), which is under MassDOT jurisdiction. The project team met with MassDOT to review the proposed layout and received additional feedback from MassDOT during the DEIR process. A MassDOT Access Permit application will be filed after the FEIR certificate is issued.

    The layouts depicted on the overall proposed site plan are preliminary. Prior to the construction of any building or site improvements on any lot, the project team will file for site plan approval and for a special permit, and the proposed design for the lot will be reviewed during a Planning Board hearing. Wetland impacts associated with proposed construction on any lot will be reviewed during a separate Conservation Commission hearing to be conducted at the same time as the Planning Board hearing.

    Contact

    For questions about the project's MEPA status, please contact Kim Orr of Durand & Anastas Environmental Strategies (kim@durandanastas.com).