I am pleased to post the following updated announcement, issued by the Bolton Conservation Trust. A new chapter begins.

Bolton Conservation Trust president, Al Ferry reports that BCT has purchased the Smith Property, located in the historic district in the center of town, using financing from MassDevelopment loan funds.  BCT believes the Smith Property is important to Bolton’s future and has potential to be developed in a way that will benefit the residents of Bolton.

The Trust has formed the Bolton Center Steering Committee with a charter to plan remediation and future use.  Bob Roemer, Dan Gaffney, Bob Johnson, Bob Cohen and Chris Mariano have volunteered to serve on the Steering Committee and will be developing plans for approval by the BCT.

BCT would like to thank the efforts of the Partners for Planning for bringing this opportunity to the attention of the community and looks forward to help from the community to determine the best use of the site.

A mission of the Trust is to assist in and promote the preservation of the rural character of the Town of Bolton

www.boltonconservationtrust.org

The Local Historic District Study Committee has received, and continues to seek, input from a number of town residents, committee members and administrators.  This is a very open process and will continue with your feedback.  Please note that this is version 7 and a draft, it does not necessarily represent the final version that will be submitted to the Selectmen for inclusion on the May 2012 Town Meeting Warrant.  Your comments and suggestions can be forward to Iris Berdrow at iberdrow@verizon.net or 978-779-8901, or sent to 27 Randall Road, Bolton.

Click here for the latest draft of the Local Historic District Bylaw.

The Local Historical District Study Committee would like your input in establishing a local historic district in the center of Bolton. The Area (see map below) would include the existing National Historic District on Main Street (from Sugar Road to Harvard Road), and Wattaquadock Hill Road (from Main Street to Memorial Field)(includes 76 structures, over 90% are over 100 years old).

The Local Historic District has been specifically identified as an important tool for Bolton in the 1998 Preservation Plan, the 2001 Archeological Survey, the 2006 Master Plan and the 2006 Reconnaissance report by MA Dept of Conservation and Rec.  The Local Historic District Study Committee (LHDSC) was formed in March 2011 by approval of the Selectmen to investigate and make recommendations on the application for a Local Historic District in Bolton.

We can be very thankful that so many buildings from our town’s past still remain in the village center. However, without a local historic district, our village center could be lost forever through future demolitions and alterations.  A local historic district will help to guide future changes, making sure that historic character will remain a distinct part of our village center.

In a local historic district, exterior architectural features visible from a paved public named street are reviewed by a Selectman-appointed local historic district commission (5 Members with diverse background) to make sure that the proposed changes are appropriate to the historic character of the district.

Today there are over 240 local historic districts in Massachusetts and that number grows each year.  Some of these local towns include Acton, Carlisle, Concord, Groton, Harvard, Marlboro, and Shirley.

Please take a few minutes to express your thoughts on whether a local historic district is needed in the Bolton Village Center by filling out the survey.  You can either complete the paper version sent through the mail to all Bolton residents, or click here to take the survey online.

The map of the proposed district is shown below. Click the map to enlarge. A draft of the Local Historic District by-law is available here.  The Local Historic District by-law will be on the Town Warrant for the May 2012 town meeting.  If you have edits or suggestions about the by-law it is important that we get them by Feb 7^th.

Thank you for your time.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Iris Berdrow

LHDSC Chairperson

iberdrow@verizon.net

Felted Christmas Elves Wreath by Lyn Slade (2011)

Don’t forget to stop in at the barn beside Sawyer House this Sunday for the 9th annual Wreath Festival.

There are unique and creative wreaths each year.

Bolton Historical Society, 676 Main Street, Sunday, Dec 4, noon to 5:00 pm.

You can view the latest wreaths by Bolton wreath artists. You can also bid on them and hope for some bargains. Many of the wreaths come with extra goodies, coupons, or keepsake holiday items. Free refreshments.

Local Girl Scout Troops lead a caroling sing-along starting about 3:00 pm.

This event captures the spirit of Bolton in many ways. Proceeds support the Historical Society.

Girl Scouts lead holiday sing-along at Historical Society barn.

If voters approve the debt exclusion for purchase of the Smith property, there would be an opportunity to consider the purchase article again at a future town meeting without needing to have an additional ballot vote.  Whichever side of the issue you are on, this is an important vote.

• Overview starts at 18 minute point.
• Contamination discussion starts at 32 minute point.
• Financial discussion starts at 52 minute point.
• Q and A starts at 73 minute point.

Reminder: the Planning Board will host a public information forum on this topic  on Wednesday, October 26th, at 7:30 p.m. at the Florence Sawyer School Auditorium.

—Roland

Bolton Town Green Proposal

Frequently Asked Questions

 1.   What is this about, in a nutshell?

This proposal recommends a vetted, sensible approach to the problem of the languishing and contaminated former Smith garage property in the center of town. The property has been for sale for years. It is out-of-compliance with the DEP. The buildings have been ordered vacated by the Board of Health due to fail septic systems. It is deteriorating rapidly. The proposal recommends that the town purchase these 8+acres in the very heart of the town center for $230,000 (a price recommended by a respected appraisal firm). The town would then take over and oversee the clean up, and apply for a series of grants to fund the work. The town will reserve a portion of the cleaned-up property for a much-desired Town Green, and sell a portion to a private developer to build housing, both market-rate and affordable. The back of the lot would be left as forest with a possible trail access to the Powder House Conservation Area to the northeast. There are many benefits, but we believe that the biggest is that this is an incredible opportunity to establish a Bolton Town Green in the exact place where a Town Green should be, the very center of town.

2.   Have town boards reviewed this proposal?

Yes. The major boards have reviewed the proposal. In fact, eight town boards are co-sponsoring the article on the Special Town Meeting Warrant. These include: Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, Affordable Housing Trust, Housing Authority, Parks and Recreation Commission, Historical Commission, Economic Development Committee, and the Public Ways Safety Committee.

3.   Has the proposal received any endorsements?

Yes. Six town boards have so far endorsed the proposal: Planning Board, Affordable Housing Trust, Housing Authority, Parks and Recreation Commission, Historical Commission, Public Ways Safety Committee. In addition, the Advisory Committee, in an informal poll taken at its meeting of October 12, showed four members supporting and one member undecided. Selectman Dave Lindsay expressed support in a letter to the editor in the Common on October 14. Business leaders such as Brian Lynch (The International) and Rich Pelletier (Nashoba Valley Winery) have endorsed the proposal.

 4.   So what is this going to cost?

The total project budget is $765,000. The Affordable Housing Trust will kick in $125,000 (because the project includes an affordable housing component), which reduces the amount needed to borrow for the project to $640,000, and that is the amount—$640,000— requested on the Special Town Meeting warrant article. $640,000 includes costs for cleaning up the property. Those costs will very likely be paid for by grants. Including the grants, this reduces the amount actually needed to borrow for the project to $440,000. Funds will not be borrowed all at once. They will be borrowed over a six-year period as they are needed. Further, it is anticipated that the piece that is sold to a developer will generate some amount of cash, possibly $150,000, and that even further reduces the amount that will need to be borrowed. And when it’s all completed (approx. 7 years), that piece of property will be generating much, much more in tax revenue ($81,000 per year) than it does now ($14,000 per year), or ever has. In effect, the town is making an investment that will have a payback—and as part of the deal we get a beautiful town green.

5.   Ok, so what’s it going to cost me?

If, as expected, the town receives clean up grants from Mass Development and EPA, the average single family home assessed at $455,800 will see a decrease in taxes of $18 per year over twenty years. The basic reason for this is that the project will convert a blighted property of reduced value into an attractive property of higher value—thus it will generate much more in property taxes than it ever has. Over the first years of the project—while it is off the tax roles during clean up—it will increase the average homeowner’s taxes by $15 per year for the first five years. This proposal is unique in that it will generate a return in the form of increased revenues to the town (which the town could use to reduce taxes) for an investment in the first five years.

We believe that it also useful to keep in mind that beautifying the town in this way will upgrade the town in the eyes of people all over the region, and thus protect and enhance home values of every homeowner.

6.   Is this a final fixed plan for approval?

The Partners for Planning have prepared a conceptual plan for the town to consider. We believe it is well thought out and makes sense from an aesthetic and financial perspective. As part of the proposal, we recommend that the Selectmen create and appoint a Committee (Bolton Green Development Committee, or similar), to develop and manage the final plan in a manner similar to the construction committees of the Public Safety Building and Library projects. Not only will the Committee members and citizens have ideas for making the plan better, but when developers prepare their proposals, they will have ideas as well.

7.  What are the risks?

The biggest risk is the time needed to finalize and execute the plan. The project rolls out over roughly 7 years—three years for clean up, 1-2 years for build-out, 1-2 years to sell and occupy the housing to start collecting tax revenue. Delays in clean up could push the project out. Uncertainty regarding the housing market 3-5 years out could also impact the timeline. A recent survey of several developers indicated significant early interest on their part in the project, however, given the market volatility of the last several years, projecting out 3-5 years is difficult. The financial impact of a delay of two years in this project is $25 to the average tax bill of the first 5 years of the project.

Cleaning up the site is not a significant risk as the contamination is well documented so cost estimates are very accurate. Moreover, additional funds and protections are available should the town need them for unexpected overages. It is a possibility that funds from EPA will fall victim to the budget cuts in Washington. EPA funds are not critical to the proposal.

8.   What happens if the town does not purchase the site?

The property has been for sale for several years (approx 7). There has been no progress on the clean up since 2008 and the property is in a state of non-compliance with DEP. An expired enforcement agreement from Board of Health will not allow any use of the buildings or residences unless the septic systems are brought up to code. The property is not being maintained. It is possible that it will continue to be marketed as house lots or a small 40B. It is also possible that it will continue on as a languishing blighted site. It is even possible that it would go quickly to auction or fire sale. Possibly a speculative commercial developer would pick it up on hopes of getting a change of zoning passed through a future town meeting. The longer it remains vacant and uncared for, the higher the possibility that it could become tied up in legal or other entanglements.

But the bigger worry that some have voiced is that the property could be sold and combined with up to 100 acres of available land-locked back lots to constitute a very large development—some estimates show that 200 40B units could be built on the back lots.

9.   Will the town be able to find a developer to build the housing?

The Partners have interviewed a number of developers who are interested in the project. A detailed pro forma was reviewed with a developer and representatives from the Planning Board and Affordable Housing Trust, who concluded that the project was viable.

10.    Will commercial development be allowed?

Possibly, if the Bolton Green Development Committee recommends it. The property is zoned residential and it is in an area whose primary use is residential. The housing part of the proposal would be done under a 40B special permit and rules allow for “incidental” commercial use, comprising less than 25% of total square footage. The proposal calls for the creation of a Selectman-appointed Town Green Development Commiittee (or equivalent). It would fall with that group to request, analyze, and make recommendations as to which developer proposals they would accept for the build out. There are many interesting possibilities that one can imagine as to the final configuration. The proposal as it is now configured would actually aid current contiguous businesses by providing off street parking.

11. What happens if something doesn’t go as planned?

Any project has risks. The proposal that the Partners have presented makes every effort to ensure that appropriate contingences have been provided to allow for unexpected events. The amount of grants available for the clean up, for instance, far exceeds the expected cost. The Town can also purchase an insurance policy to protect them from unexpected events in the process. There are numerous points in the budget and financials where conservative assumptions have been applied. The proposed budget includes a direct unallocated contingency of 7%. In addition, funds received for the sale of a portion of the property are not included in the pro forma. The reason for this is to give the town wide latitude in considering a variety of proposals from developers at that juncture. We estimate that the value of that portion of the property (cleaned up) will exceed $150,000. These are a few examples of the conservative approach toward the financials.

12.   This is a contaminated site, what liabilities would the town assume?

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has promised to work with Bolton to protect it from the liability that attaches to owners and operators of contaminated property. Referred to as a “Covenant Not to Sue”, this is a key tool created to encourage the clean up and redevelopment of problem sites. In exchange for a promise to clean up the property, a Brownfields “Covenant Not to Sue” offers relief from claims by third parties and/or the Commonwealth for contribution, cost recovery, or property damage under Chapter 21E, as well as property damage under the common law. The Partners have been in contact with the Attorney General’s Office who has visited Bolton and participated in a forum with DEP on the cleanup of the Smith Property. The Attorney General’s Office is available to start the process, which takes about 6 weeks to put in place, as soon as the Town is ready.

13.   With the local and national economy in dire straits, and the real estate market abysmal, how can the town afford to purchase and own this property?

This proposal qualifies the town to receive financial assistance in several ways: 1) the town will qualify for grants to fund the assessment and remediation of the environmental contamination on the property—those grants likely total in excess of $200,000; 2) the Affordable Housing Trust will contribute $125,000 toward the project; and 3) the sale of a portion of the property to a developer for the housing will generate an estimated $150,000. Because the plan involves housing that will generate property and excise taxes, the project will produce a positive cash flow by year 7 and a complete payback in year 12 (assuming no significant delays in the schedule). Over 20 years the project will actually generate a positive cash contribution of $410,000 to the town at a net present value of 3%—all while preserving and enhancing the beauty and character of the town. Further, the town’s debt will decline over the next five years at a significant rate.

14.  What will happen to town debt?

Even with the addition of $440,000 of borrowing (the amount expected to be needed for this project), town debt will still decrease 35% over the next five years—from $16.9 million in 2012 to $10.9 million in 2016. The reality is that the additional amount that this proposal adds to the debt will barely slow the decline. So the piece of your property tax bill that represents town debt will go down even with this possible purchase.

This chart of course does not show possible future borrowings. It is unlikely that there would be a significant impact to these numbers based on known usual requests (DPW equipment, public safety capital items, etc). Even an expenditure such as the Fyfeshire dam would only slow the overwhelming decline in the debt schedule. A new school may be necessary in the future, but it is unlikely in our opinion to impact this debt schedule significantly in the time horizon we are talking about with this project.

15.   Why does the article request $640,000 of borrowing and you are projecting only $440,000 of borrowing?

Bond Counsel has advised the town that the borrowing request must include the amount we expect to be covered by grants, since we will not have them in hand at the time of town meeting. We have a high degree of confidence in the town’s ability to successfully secure grants for the purpose of clean up. The appropriate granting agencies have reviewed the project and have given every positive indication that they can short of an actual commitment. We cannot apply for the major grants unless or until the town owns the property.

 16.   If the price is really so low, might it go even lower?

The valuation was determined by a professional independent appraisal that was commissioned by Partners For Planning. The appraisal was done by one of the most respected firms in the state and reflects a price that we feel is both fair to the owner (a Bolton resident) and is a good deal for the town.

17.   Who are Partners For Planning anyway?

Partners For Planning is a group of 17 residents that came together out of shared concern for the future of the town center. We have all served the town at one time or another in elected or appointed positions. We don’t all live in the center; in fact, only 5 of the group live in the center. In 2010, two different high-impact commercial proposals were floated for the Smith property, and we set out as a goal to see if we could come up with an alternative vision for the property that was at once respectful of the history and residential use of the town center, and took maximum advantage of the potential of the location. We think we’ve done that and along the way found a way to make the whole proposal financially reasonable for the town.

The group includes: Iris Berdrow, Barbara Bing, Stephen Bing, Al Ferry, Jean Heaton, Dick Heaton, Rob Held, Scottie Held, Rev. Richard Jones, Cia Ochsenbein, Roland Ochsenbein, Alice Roemer, Bob Roemer, Ken Troup, Michelle Tuck, Eileen Griffin Wright, Dave Wylie.

 18.   The work on this project appears very professionally prepared—is Partners For Planning paying people to work on this proposal?

No. No member of Partners For Planning has received any remuneration for services. We have done this work on our own time and at our own expense. We have purchased the following specialized services: a professional property appraisal, legal advice relating to the environmental issues, engineering analysis relating to septic and water on the site.

19.  Why wouldn’t a developer just buy it, so that the townspeople wouldn’t have to foot the bill for the purchase?

The property has been for sale for about 7 years. It is difficult to envision a plan that provides an acceptable risk/return for a private investor. The combination of the acquisition cost plus the clean up cost is an initial hurdle. Add in the impact of site constraints such as the brook, wetlands, zoning, septic capacity, lot shape…and the challenge is significant. To make something work there from a private investment perspective, it appears that the scale must be large—if commercial that means large national chains with big footprints, if 40B that means dense development and purchasing the backlots to make a large-scale development.

20.  Why is this “special interest group” getting a special town meeting, when the costs of holding one are substantial?

The special interest of this group is truly the broad public benefit that such a project embodies. The group—individually and collectively—has no financial or any other kind of interest in this project except for the public good and respect for the rich history and character of Bolton. It is composed of a wide-ranging group of residents who believe that this is a unique opportunity to permanently enhance the beauty and character of the town and to realize a vision for the creation of a Town Green in the very heart of the town center—right where a Town Green should be. The opportunity is of such significance and long-term impact that it deserves to be put before the town.

Further, we believe that there is a small window of opportunity remaining to act on this.

21. The land is badly contaminated. What are the estimated clean-up costs, and who would pay for them?

The town will be eligible to apply for grants from state and federal sources to fund the clean up. The Partners have met with both of the primary sources of funding (Mass Development and the EPA), and believe that there is a high degree of probability that the town will be successful in procuring grants to cover at least 80% of the cleanup costs.  Estimates put the cleanup costs at $200K-$225K. Total grants available exceed $800,000. These are not available (as grants) to a private developer.

 22.  Is the plan to have the town itself develop the land, or would the town plan to sell the land to an outside developer?

The town would sell a portion of the property to a private developer to build and market the housing, as well as provide the necessary infrastructure—power, water, septic. The overall process would be managed by a Bolton Town Green Development Committee, a new town body that we recommend be established. It would be appointed by, and report to, the Board of Selectmen. This Committee would solicit proposals from developers in an RFP process under the Chapter 30B guidelines, and sell the property to the developer with the best overall proposal as judged by the Committee’s criteria for evaluation.

23.  If the town does buy the property, then what?

The selectmen would appoint the Bolton Green Development Committee (or equivalent) to oversee the project in a way similar to the construction committees that were established to oversee the design and construction of the public safety facility and library. The budget includes funds to hire a project manager just as the library and public safety committees did, as well as other consultants to assist with grant writing and other engineering. This Committee would hold open meetings and hearings to finalize a design, oversee the cleanup, and the choice of a housing developer. They would report to the Board of Selectmen.

FAQs Prepared by Partners For Planning

—Roland