Wellesley Town Meeting to Select Board: Negotiate with state on MassBay land’s future
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A majority of Wellesley Town Meeting members on Monday, May 11 voted to advise the Select Board to negotiate with the state regarding the disposition and development of MassBay Community College property eyed for 180 units of housing adjacent to forest land.
In a non-binding vote at Special Town Meeting, members of Wellesley’s elected legislative body had a choice between three options under Article 2, motion 1: (A) Agree to the state’s proposed framework; (B) negotiate with the state; or (C) proceed directly to litigation.
The voting results: 11 (A), 118 (B), 75 (C), and 2 abstentions. So that’s 206 votes among the 240-member group.
Note that the negotiate-forward option B includes this last line: “and further, that the Town preserves all available legal rights and options, including litigation.”
The first hour of Special Town Meeting, which started at 7pm at Wellesley High, featured presentations by Select Board Chair Marjorie Freiman and town counsel. Freiman displayed renderings of what a 180-unit development might look like on the MassBay property on and around the current parking lot at 40 Oakland St.
Moderator Mark Kaplan then turned to debate in roughly 40-minute chunks, starting with Town Meeting members, then non-Town Meeting members, then back to Town Meeting members for the final round. No bio breaks included in what turned out to be a 2-hour debate session, with speakers alternating between those in favor of options A or B, and those in favor of option C. Speakers lined up at mics on each side of the room.
Overall, about 60 people spoke, a few more than once.
Some argued that the town should jump at the chance to get a conservation restriction on most of the forest land at 40 Oakland St. Others contended this is actually already protected land under Article 97, and its 40 acres should not be used by the state in justifying its calculation for 180 units on and around the current parking lot property.
Speakers had different interpretations of the state’s indications and willingness to support town priorities vs. its actual commitments. Some expressed frustration with what they’ve seen as an unwillingness on the state’s part to negotiate with the town, while others felt suing the state would be too risky, and a long shot to win.
There were only two motions on the floor at the meeting, and there was no opportunity to amend the main motion under Article 2.
The motion under Article 3, to appropriate $900k for legal and related professional services to be used for matters related to 40 Oakland St., passed easily before the meeting ended at 10:10pm.
The Select Board on Tuesday, May 12, is slated to discuss and vote on a letter to the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (aka, the state’s real estate arm) regarding 40 Oakland St. The state has set a deadline of May 13 for feedback on the MassBay land disposition ahead of a request for proposals being issued to developers mid-year.
More to come…