As Neiman Marcus redevelopment moves forward, Natick readies itself for more biolabs

NATICK — With a bronze BioReady rating from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council and several life sciences companies already in operation, Natick isn’t exactly unprepared for new laboratories.

Still, health and safety officials have found room for improvement.

More: Natick's Neiman Marcus may become research and development site. Neighbors have questions

The town is in the process of developing local policies to regulate and permit labs, fueled by debate surrounding a proposal to redevelop the Natick Mall’s Neiman Marcus site into a research and development facility.

In May, neighbors raised concerns that the new facility may include a lab, questioning the potential public health impacts.

The project remains before the Planning Board for site plan review and special permitting, and the developer, Bulfinch Companies Inc. subsidiary NM Redevelopment, has not announced any tenants.

Without knowing who will occupy the space and what it will be used for, it’s difficult to determine exact safety plans and procedures at this stage, according to Fire Chief Jason Ferschke.

More: Developers offer insight on lab safety during meeting on Neiman Marcus redevelopment

“I guess the way that I look at the project is, the vanilla box component … makes it very difficult to determine what’s going on on the inside just yet,” he told the Planning Board on July 20.

Planning Board Chair Andy Meyer asked Ferschke to let the board know whether the Fire Department has any needs or requests to help make the space safer.

“I think that’s kind of the hurdle right now, is not really knowing what the inside’s going to consist of,” replied Ferschke, who started as fire chief on July 1.

Meyer concurred.

“And that’s our challenge, because we’re going to have to craft a decision not knowing who the tenants are,” he said.

Peter Barbieri, an attorney representing NM Redevelopment, noted the developer’s willingness to coordinate with the Fire Department and Board of Health, especially as it identifies tenants for the space.

How ready is Natick?

According to the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, or MassBio, Natick is one of several communities statewide that offer municipal water and sewer to commercial and industrial areas; zoning for biotech laboratory and manufacturing uses by special permit; and an identified point of contact in town to assist with biotech projects.

These features have helped the town earn the lowest of four “BioReady” tiers.

There are several nearby communities at the highest tier (including Framingham, Westborough and Marlborough), the criteria for which includes easier pathways for biotech laboratory and manufacturing uses and enhanced regulations through the community’s Board of Health.

Director of Public Health Michael Boudreau is developing lab regulations for Natick, intending to implement a permitting process and restrict biosafety levels, or BSLs, to the two lowest-risk tiers.

Previously: Natick considers lab regulations after Neiman Marcus redevelopment sparks safety concerns

Biosafety levels determine the techniques and safety measures needed in a lab depending on the materials in use. There are four levels, ranging from BSL-1 on the lowest-risk end to BSL-4 on the highest.

NM Redevelopment told the Daily News in May that the property is intended to be a BSL-1 or BSL-2. Boudreau said BSL-1 labs share similarities with high school labs, and that BSL-2 labs might work with viruses or bacteria such as streptococcus and staphylococcus.

“Ultimately, the intent would be to permit them (biolabs), so they would be required to get a permit on an annual basis,” he said.

Boudreau said he anticipates completing the regulations within three months. Once enacted, they will apply to existing labs in Natick, including ABI-LAB on Strathmore Road.

“We do want to give them some time to come into compliance,” Boudreau told the Board of Health on July 19.

While he noted a sense of urgency in enacting regulations, Boudreau emphasized the importance of a forward-thinking policy that considers the bigger picture.

“I understand that several people do have a sense of urgency on having these regulations enacted,” he told the Board of Health. “I would like to make sure that the regulations that we provide aren’t done in a reactive manner, that we’re kind of backtracking on things a little bit later on.”

At the Planning Board meeting, board member Doug Landry explained that communities that “have their act together” in terms of zoning, fire code and Board of Health regulations are often a green flag for life sciences companies searching for a new site.

“It’ll move us up the chart on the BioReady scale at MassBio, for sure,” Landry said of the town’s ongoing work.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Natick laboratory safety: Where do proposed regulations stand?