557 Highland Ave. (former Muzi site)

The Planning Department has created this website to share information about the redevelopment of 557 Highland Avenue, formerly the site of Muzi Ford and Chevrolet and a car wash. The nearly 10-acre site was rezoned by Town Meeting in 2021 and purchased by the Bulfinch Companies shortly thereafter. 

The Bulfinch Companies has proposed to build lab, research and office space called the Highland Science Center. This website contains official filings, public meeting and hearing information and other relevant documents and information related to this project.   To access the Bulfinch Companies website for further information please go to the following link: http://557highland.com 

Sign up for updates here. For questions, please contact planning@needhamma.gov

Planning Board Decision

The Planning Board issued a decision on December 23, 2022 for the Highland Science Center.  The decision can be viewed at the following link: https://www.needhamma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=11308 

 Application

Proponent's Application for Site Plan Review and issuance of Special Permits for the Project (Part 1)
Traffic Appendices  (Part 2). This special permit application will be the subject on a public hearing by the Planning Board on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

Revised Materials received on June 30, 2022:

• Cover letter from Attorney Tim Sullivan, dated June 30, 2022 as well as the following documents: Exhibit A - the Applicant’s responses to aggregated comments from the Planning Board Members at the June 7 the hearing; Exhibit B - the Applicant’s responses to comments received from other Town departments; Exhibit C - response from VHB, Inc. to GPI’s peer review comments on the Project’s Transportation Impact and Access Study; Exhibit D - separate response from VHB, Inc. to Nitsch Engineering’s peer-review comments on the Transportation Impact and Access Study; Exhibit E - Preliminary Exterior/Community Noise Evaluation/Narrative prepared by Acentech Incorporated examining compliance with MassDEP noise limits. Lastly, the presentation at the July 7, 2022 Planning Board meeting.

Revised Materials received on August 17, 2022 for hearing on September 7, 2022:

• Revised Plans, 8/15/22
• Cover letter from Attorney Tim Sullivan, dated August 15, 2022 as well as the following documents: a) Boundary Description; b) Revision Letter from Civil; c) Revision Letter re: Transportation; d) Revision Letter re: Landscape; e) Revision Letter re: Architecture; f) Preliminary Exterior/Community Noise Evaluation/Narrative.

Fiscal Impact Report, prepared by Fougere Planning and Development, Inc., dated May 16, 2022