Care about the Climate? Turn your lights OFF for one hour at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday March 25.
Earth Hour
Care about the Climate? Turn your lights OFF for one hour at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday March 25.
Friends of the North 40 spiff up their website
The grassroots Friends of the North 40 organization has shifted to a shiny new website to keep you up to speed on activities related to the space being acquired by the town this year from Wellesley College.
Upcoming events include Raptors, Goats & You on Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend (May 16, 10am-4pm) and a clean-up on May 9 from 8am-noon.
RELATED: Don’t be fooled — Wellesley eco-activists now rally around South 41
Here we go again: Wellesley eco-activists now rally around South 41
DISCLAIMER (Ran on April Fools’ Day, 2015)
Buoyed by the success of their Save the North 40 campaign this past year in which they convinced Wellesley College to settle for the Town’s $35 million offer, local activists are moving on to the next frontier: Saving the little known South 41.
The environmental activists, in an effort to be sustainable, are busily recycling the familiar orange North 40 signs that have dotted organic lawns across Wellesley over the past year into South 41 signs. This morning we spotted the first one in the wild, as shown here.
“Saving the North 40 has preserved community farms, an historic chain-link fence (circa 1875) as well as open space that most people in town will never visit,” said one activist, who begged to be named. “Since the town okayed the North 40 purchase at the start of March, we’ve been itching for a new cause. The South 41 will preserve the town’s oft-overlooked community groundhog farms and mud baths.”
One eco-activist, first grader Honey Hunnewell, said it’s about time the South 41 got its due.
“I’ve been passionate about this issue for years,” she said in her very own words, while munching on a native species salad. “We’ve got a challenging journey ahead, but it’s worth whatever sacrifices it takes.”
South 41 activists later this month are planning a “map-in” during which they will seek community input to define exactly where the South 41 is.
For more information, please visit here.
North 40 update from Wellesley College
From Wellesley College re: North 40
March 13, 2015
Dear Neighbor:
In December, we informed you about an asphalt substance in the southern portion of the North 40 land parcel. The College began removing the non-hazardous substance in mid-December, but work needed to be paused before the project was completed. Then, it snowed.
With the recent melting and moderating temperatures, the removal process is set to begin again on March 16 and will continue through March 27. This process will include trucks and heavy machinery accessing the southern portion of the land by way of the aqueduct. For safety reasons, the Crosstown Trail will be closed during the period that equipment will go back and forth over the aqueduct. Further, the old landfill trail will not be accessible while trucks are on the site. We encourage neighbors to enjoy their walks in other parts of town over this time. We are working with the town to be sure this process is handled quickly and with minimal inconvenience to you, our neighbors.
Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions, please contact me at vpfaadmin@wellesley.edu.
Best,
Ben Hammond
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Wellesley College
Wellesley North 40 public info sessions set for January
The North 40 story is still far from over, even though the town of Wellesley last month agreed to buy the property from Wellesley College for $35M. Here’s what’s next, according to a message from the Board of Selectmen:
Please join the Board of Selectmen on SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2015 at 1:00 pm in the Wellesley High School Cafeteria or THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015 at 7:30 pm in the Great Hall at Town Hall for a public information session to discuss the Special Town Meeting Article to acquire the North 40 through the use of Community Preservation Funds and a debt exclusion.
The Selectmen signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement on December 18th to acquire the North 40 from Wellesley College for $35,000,000. The meeting will discuss the vision conducted by the North 40 Steering Committee, the Purchase and Sale Agreement, and the financing of the acquisition in detail.
Information on the Purchase and Sale Agreement, North 40 Steering Committee, and visioning efforts can be found at www.wellesleyma.gov/North40 .
Residents unable to attend the public sessions should watch the Board of Selectmen meeting on January 5, 2015 on Wellesley Media (Comcast Channel 9, Verizon Channel 39) for a presentation on the Purchase and Sale Agreement and financing. Residents are encouraged to email questions and comments to north40@wellesleyma.gov
A subscription list has been created for the North 40 to provide updates, including the posting of any new documents. To subscribe visit www.wellesleyma.gov/subscriber and choose The “North 40” Property.
YMCA, others queue up to share plans for 900 Worcester St. in Wellesley
On the same week that Wellesley’s outdoor hockey rinks took shape near the high school, two outfits interested in building indoor rinks at 900 Worcester St., made public pitches.
The 900 Worcester St. Recreation Use Committee on Tuesday held its first of four planned meetings to review responses to the Request For Information (RFI) distributed in September for the 8-acre St. James the Great parcel on Rte. 9 East (You can catch a replay of the Tuesday meeting on Wellesley Media.). This first meeting included presentations by two of four skating facility respondents: Skating Club of Boston and Wellesley Sportsplex LLC, the latter led by Wellesley resident and land developer Garrett Solomon.
The Skating Club of Boston is thinking very big, looking to develop a three-rink, international level skating complex that would replace its Brighton home and cost around $50M. This complex would would use all of the site. One of the rinks would be reserved for Wellesley Youth Hockey and Wellesley Public Schools. The other two would support Skating Academy, competitive figure skating, speed skating, and other skating activities. The facility, as envisioned, would also include a 250 person banquet area with a professional kitchen. The Skating Club is also exploring other possible locations for its complex, including through a land deal with Harvard University.
The Wellesley Sportsplex proposal included two rinks, two courts and a turfed field that could be used year-round. The lead developer from Wellesley is partnering with an experienced sports facility architect from Concord, Mass., and a developer who built and operates multiple rink facilities in the Northern Va./D.C. area, including the Washington Capitals practice facility. Train Boston would also have space in the facility to provide training for athletes of all ages. Parking requirements are among the lingering questions with this project.
Two more skating facility proposals are slated to be aired on Wednesday at Town Hall.
Next Wednesday, things get even more interesting: The YMCA will present its ideas for a partnership to develop an aquatic facility and more.
The last meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 28, when respondents interested in developing various bubbled fields/courts for year-round use will have their say.
Residents are welcome to attend the meetings and ask questions, as the 900 Worcester St. Committee aims to issue a request for proposals by mid-year. With the North 40 acquisition Special Town Meeting scheduled for Jan. 20/21, these meetings with private firms looking to develop recreation resources in partnership with Wellesley are especially timely.