Walden tries alternate route for Framingham treatment center
Waltham-based Walden Behavioral Care, a treatment center specializing in eating disorders, will press on with plans to build a new treatment center at the former Marist Retreat Center on Pleasant Street in Framingham under its nonprofit education arm, the Walden Center for Education and Research Inc.
The Walden Center said in a statement it obtained Dover Amendment protection from Framingham Building Commissioner Michael Tusino, which, under Massachusetts General Laws, grants use for educational purposes in any local zoning district, subject to a limited site plan review by the local planning board.
Dover amendment follows ZBA denial
The decision follows a failed bid by Walden Behavioral Care to build its new treatment complex as a for-profit company by obtaining a special permit from the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals. The proposal faced considerable opposition from neighbors.
Walden Behavioral Care appealed the decision in court. That appeal is still pending, according to a spokesman for Walden. Meanwhile, the Walden Center is proposing the project as an educational center as an alternative course of action.
The Walden Center was created more than a year ago, according to the organization, but articles of organization were initially filed in 2002.
The Walden Center’s plans include construction of a treatment center at the Marist site, at 518 Pleasant St., though emphasis will be placed on education and research, according to a statement. As proposed, the site will include four new buildings totaling 57,000 square feet, in addition to two existing buildings that total 50,000 square feet, Walden said.
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