Status: Definitive Subdivision Approved (August 2025); Major Site Plan Review Pending (Hearing Jan 21, 2026).
Address: 475 Bedford Street, Lexington, MA
Site History: Former Boston Sports Club (BSC)
Applicant: Pulte Homes of New England
Proposal: 150 residential units (3 buildings)

The redevelopment of 475 Bedford Street is one of Lexington’s largest active residential projects. It involves replacing the now-closed Boston Sports Club with a 150-unit residential complex.

While the “Zoning Freeze” is the legal mechanism allowing it to proceed, the project itself is a significant transformation of a difficult, constrained site at a major commercial intersection. This guide details the physical plan, the neighborhood context, and the history that led to this proposal.

1. The Vision: What is Being Built?

Pulte Homes proposes a “Village-style” multi-family development designed to fit within a site heavily crisscrossed by utility easements.

• The Structures: The plan calls for three separate residential buildings, each containing roughly 50 units.

• Height & Scale: Under the “frozen” 2023 zoning, these buildings are permitted to rise up to approximately 60 feet (4–5 stories). This is significantly taller than the surrounding single-family homes but comparable to the commercial office parks across the street on Hartwell Avenue.

• Parking: The design utilizes “podium parking,” where vehicles are parked in garages located underneath the residential floors, along with some surface parking. This approach maximizes the use of the limited buildable land.

• Public Amenities: A key benefit for the town is a proposed new public connection to the Simonds Brook Trail, enhancing the walkability of the wider Hartwell/Bedford corridor.

2. Site Challenges: Why This Design?

To understand the layout, you have to look at the ground. The 9-acre lot is arguably one of the most difficult building sites in Lexington due to invisible “no-build” zones:

1. Gas Easement: There is a 30-foot-wide Tennessee Gas Pipeline easement for a high-pressure natural gas transmission line that cuts directly through the property. This is part of a major interstate energy highway built in the 1950s to supply New England.

2. Utility Right-of-Way: A massive 250-foot wide electrical transmission corridor dominates the eastern edge.

3. Wetlands: Significant wetlands and buffer zones limit where construction can happen.

Implication: The developer cannot spread the 150 units out in low-rise townhomes because most of the land is unbuildable. They are forced to “cluster” the buildings tightly together and build up (taller) rather than out, which is why the height protections of the zoning freeze were likely non-negotiable for them.

3. Neighborhood & Context

The Abutters: Drummer Boy Condominiums

The property directly borders the Drummer Boy Condominiums (to the north/west).

• The Conflict: Drummer Boy is a lower-density, townhouse-style community. The new proposal introduces taller 4-5 story blocks right next door.

• Screening: A major focus of the Site Plan Review will be the “buffer zone.” Residents are pushing for preserving mature trees and adding screening to prevent the new buildings from visually overwhelming the existing condos.

Traffic: The Hartwell “Jug-Handle”

The site sits at the “jug-handle” intersection of Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue, a critical gateway to the Hartwell Innovation Park (life sciences/labs) and Hanscom Air Force Base.

• Current State: This intersection is already heavily congested during commute hours.

• Impact: Adding 150 households will increase trip volume. However, planning studies often show that multi-family housing generates less peak-hour traffic than the previous use (a health club) or the alternative use (a busy lab/office building).

Historical Context: The Failed Lab Vote

It is important to remember that this site almost became a commercial lab.

• 2020-2022: The property owners attempted to rezone the site for Life Science/Lab use, arguing it would generate more tax revenue and less traffic than housing.

• The Vote: Residents and Town Meeting members voted that down, expressing a clear preference for housing over more office space. In many ways, this 150-unit proposal is the direct result of the town’s earlier demand for residential use on this site.

4. Status Note: The Zoning Freeze

Brief Context: The project is proceeding under the 2023 Village Overlay rules (which allow for the 60ft height and higher density) rather than the stricter 2025 rules.

• Why: Pulte Homes filed their preliminary plans in March 2025, days before the town voted to reduce heights to 40 feet.

• Result: The Planning Board cannot deny the project simply because it is “too tall” under current 2026 standards. Their review is limited to ensuring the site design (safety, drainage, landscaping) meets regulations.

5. What to Watch (Site Plan Review)

The project is currently in the Major Site Plan Review phase. The upcoming hearing on January 21, 2026, will likely focus on:

1. Fire Access: Can fire trucks navigate the tight turns between the buildings and the gas easements?

2. Visual Buffers: Will the developer plant enough mature trees to hide the parking garages from Drummer Boy residents?

3. Stormwater: With significant wetlands on site, the engineering for runoff will be scrutinized to prevent flooding in neighboring yards.