By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
10/29/09
In keeping with sentiments raised by several historic organizations, the Gov. Stoughton Trust Land Committee is recommending that Selectmen preserve the historic nature of the Town Farm site by establishing an endowment fund. To pay for capital improvements and “cover operating costs at the property and serve the poor of Milton at a meaningful level,” the committee is recommending the town invest $5 million in the farm. According to its first draft report to Selectmen, which was submitted to the board Oct. 7 and released publicly this week, the committee believes three options exist to raise sufficient funds for their endowment plan. The first would be to petition private donors to raise capital for the farm, which the committee says could “be augmented by grants from various federal and state historic preservation programs,” potentially through the Community Preservation Act. Another option would be to seek a long-term municipal bonding plan supported by the taxpayers. In its report, the committee “recognizes that many will consider options one and two as virtually impossible given the state of the economy and our personal and town finances.” There is currently around $435,000 in the Gov. Stoughton trust fund.
The third option would be to develop the 34-acre farm, raising endowment funds “through either an initial lump-sum payment or ongoing periodic payments.” This option would be “controversial given the posture of many neighbors,” the report states.
Over the course of many meetings, the committee has heard various concerns from residents, some of whom are against any housing development of the Town Farm and others who fear a high-density project.
However, in its report, the committee recommends developments “modest in scale” with “no large, high-density uses.” It also recommends against any type of commercial or non-taxable development, such as schools and churches, and says that a potential developer “should be required to preserve and rehabilitate the existing structures, to the extent feasible.” Although no specific housing option is named, the report continually cites a need for more affordable housing in the town.
“The committee would conclude that, while certain individuals may support (or not object to) developing the property, there is an identifiable constituency in town that strongly supports developing the property with an affordable-housing component as a social mission which they believe is well aligned with the word and intent of the will,” the report states.
Currently, the Town Farm is home to several dilapidated structures of historic significance. The property, once serving as a poor farm, was willed to the town by Colonial Gov. William Stoughton, and must be used to benefit the poor of Milton. Selectmen were named trustees in the will.
Many different groups have suggested ideas on how the property should be utilized. The committee’s report was the product of over a year’s worth of meetings, research, and the compilation of ideas from residents and professionals on what potential uses could be. The committee was appointed in early 2008 by Selectmen as a land study group, with a charge to submit a researched opinion. It is the trustees, however, who will ultimately have to decide what, if anything, is put on the property.
The Gov. Stoughton committee’s report was made public only after it was submitted privately for Selectmen to review. As the Times reported last week, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office is investigating whether the committee violated the open meeting law by holding inappropriate closed-door sessions.
Town Planner Bill Clark, who records the notes of the meetings, said it was the committee’s plan all along to release the report publicly and nothing has changed that. The report was e-mailed to the Times and other places, but Clark said every committee member was aware the document was being released. It was posted on the town’s Web site.
“Was it pre-planned? Yes,” said Clark. “It’s been their plan all along to get the report out as soon as possible. The [district attorney’s] letter and [last week’s Times] article didn’t do anything to push it any faster.”
Clark pointed to comments from a July meeting in which committee members stated publicly their plan to have a final report ready “before the holidays” and to hold a public meeting after releasing a first draft.
That public meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. at Pierce Middle School.
The report can be found on the town’s Web site, www.townofmilton.org, under the Gov. Stoughton Trust Land Committee page, which is located as a link from the Selectmen’s page.