Neighbors Sue to Halt Development of Biolabs Headquarters

IPSWICH, MA – New England Biolabs, Inc. is all set to redevelop a former Catholic retreat center here into its new corporate headquarters but a trio of lawsuits filed by five residents whose properties abut the 133-acre site is preventing the biotech company from moving ahead with its plans.

The redevelopment plan was the first approved under this town’s Great Estate Bylaw. The bylaw, passed three years ago, enables commercial entities to be developed on properties that could be developed into single-family housing. “The planning board believes this is an excellent project and that the applicant has been very responsive to the town’s requests,” Glenn Gibbs, director of planning and development for Ipswich, tells GlobeSt.com.

Essentially, Gibbs says that the residents oppose having a commercial development in a residential neighborhood. The lawsuit challenges the planned construction of a wastewater treatment facility, the project’s use and storage of hazardous materials, the impact of the plan on the water supply, and the site plan review for the project. However, Gibbs notes that the majority of residents surrounding development support Biolabs. “It’s a very limited opposition,” he says.