Above: With a historic home and many acres of undeveloped land slated to be sold to a developer, Town Committees are asked to weigh in on what they would want to do with the land if Town voters opted to match the offer. (image left from realtor.com, right from Google Maps)
As I posted yesterday, the clock is ticking for the Town act on matching a $1.9 million offer on close to 28 acres of “forest land”. This week, Town Counsel publicly confirmed that the notice of intent to sell came with a bonafide offer. By my math, that means the Town has until December 26th to act.
This week, some of the options for use of the land or paying for the match were highlighted, including some that might not cost additional tax dollars.
As I wrote about last week, the parcel in question is 135 Deerfoot Road. (Technically, it is two parcels, which includes a lot designated on Google Maps as 126 Deerfoot Road.)
On August 28th, the Town received notice of owners’ intent to sell property designated as forest land under Chapter 61. (That doesn’t mean all 27.8+ acres is actually forest land. It includes an approximately 200 year old – some say historic* – home and old barn with landscape yard.) The statute allows the Town 120 days to act on their right of first refusal.
“Acting” would require authorization by Town Meeting voters. Selectmen discussed potentially holding a Special Town Meeting at the end of November to handle this issue only. (It would be the third Special Town Meeting in just over a year.)
As of their Tuesday night meeting, the board wasn’t advocating for purchase of the property. And before voting on opening a Town Meeting Warrant, Selectwoman Bonnie Phaneuf said she would want to hear from boards about what they want to do with the land.
At this point, no committees have voted to support the purchase. (Most haven’t had a chance to discuss it as a committee, let alone look at details to consider a formal vote.) But representatives from multiple committees did push to take a better look at the opportunity and what should be done. And many were already recommending that Town voters make the call.
Planning Board Chair Don Morris was the first committee rep up to the mike. He recalled that a report, which he is having trouble locating, had found that purchasing Open Space can have a longer term savings for the Town’s tax burden than allowing land to be developed. He characterized developments as conveyor belts to the school system, and referred to costs related to additional roads and services.
What may surprise some readers is word that neighbors purportedly would prefer the land be purchased by the developer who has made the offer, Brendan Properties. According to abutter Marguerite Landry, she and about 20 neighbors worry about what the Town might have in store if it purchases the parcel.
It’s worth noting that many residents from the neighborhood have been at odds with the Public Works Planning Board. Homeowners publicly disagreed with recommendations for a water tower at Fairview Hill that they purport would ruin views in their area.
It may also surprise you to learn that not all Town Committee interest was to keep any new housing off the land.
Freddie Gillespie, Chair of the Community Preservation Committee said it had several hundred thousand dollars available for Affordable Housing projects. She suggested that using some of the land for around 17 homes could re-secure “safe harbor” from unwelcome, larger 40B projects.
Gillespie explained that most people don’t know that the protected status based on the Park Central approval has already passed. She also suggested preserving and making use of the existing home and barn as some sort of housing project. [click to keep reading…]
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