Judy Leerer and Larry hen dry
October 25, 2005
In late May 2005, we learned that the South Middlesex Opportunity Council was purchasing a nursing home located at 517 Winter Street. Despite requests from the neighborhood and an invitation from the Board of Selectman, SMOC refused to answer any questions about the property in a public forum.
We read in some newspaper articles that SMOC was going to open a residential drug treatment program for homeless drug addicts and their families funded by the Department of Public Health. We began to file Public Disclosure Requests with the Department of Public Health to obtain information about this program. Through these requests, we received documents that confirmed SMOC was purchasing the property and that the Department of Public Health was funding 517 Winter Street for an anticipated nine year period at $800,000 per year.
One of the documents we received was the Purchase and Sale agreement for 517 Winter Street that was executed on March 9, 2005.
Although this Purchase and Sale agreement clearly states that certain information “shall be held in strict confidence to the extent that the public is not informed about a pending sale,” the document contains information raising questions as to what SMOC intends to do on the property.
Section 34 of this Purchase and Sale agreement states that after its execution SMOC will arrange to prepare a so-called “ANR plan” dividing the property into no less than 5 lots. One of these lots will be sufficient to maintain the existing building. The remaining four lots shall be sufficient to construct a residential dwelling on each lot; hence the plan contains at least four new residential buildings.
It continues to state that SMOC, along with the seller, shall use reasonable efforts to diligently pursue the approval of the ANR Plan by the Land Court and its endorsement by the Town of Framingham Planning Board. This was to be done in a “prompt manner”. The property was surveyed again in August of 2005 and a subdivision plan was turned over to SMOC representatives in late August 2005.
We strongly request that SMOC declare its intent for these four lots.
How can an accurate assessment of the impact to the neighborhood be determined without the knowledge of intent of these four lots?
We question whether the development of these lots will preclude a Winter Street access for the “shelter” and will that increase traffic on Ardmore Road?
How can the town determine if all reasonable regulations are satisfied if the town doesn’t have a true picture of what is planned for the site?
We ask for your denial of the applicants appeal. It is imperative that the Planning Board conduct a site plan review with complete information at their disposal and allow them to impose reasonable regulations. Anything less will deny the public its right to due process.
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