Hopkinton Weston Nurseries Land Use Study Committee

Consensus Vision Emerging – East Hopkinton Master Planning Update

Over 100 people attended the Voices for Vision II East Hopkinton Master Plan Forum held on March 31, 2007 at Elmwood School facilitated by Sasaki Associates. The event concluded an 8-week civic engagement process involving ten information sessions jointly sponsored by the Planning Board, Land Use Study Committee, and Civic Engagement Committee.

The March 31st forum focused on planning and zoning options for the entire 4,084 acre study area, but discussion also naturally gravitated toward the specific impending 61A decision - whether or not the town should exercise its rights of first refusal under Massachusetts law to purchase 705 acres of Weston Nurseries land, now that Boulder Capital has signed a Purchase and Sales agreement on the property.

Format and Agenda of the March 31st Forum

Sasaki presented the summary of their land use and impact analysis, reviewing various potential scenarios that could develop under different sets of conditions -- including fiscal and other impacts of three key hypothetical reference scenarios presented for discussion purposes 1) buy all 61A land and preserve it 2) do nothing and let development occur per existing zoning 3) introduce new zoning.

Participants then moved to ten randomly assigned tables, where facilitated discussion occurred, aimed at 1) Uncovering decision criteria that participants would use to evaluate scenarios and 2) Applying these decision criteria to an evaluation of the three reference scenarios.

Criteria Identified to Evaluate Best Planning Alternative

Volunteers from each table then reported back to the whole room. A general consensus emerged around the following key criteria during the table reports back to the whole room:

Creation of neutral/positive fiscal impacts on the overall tax base
Ensuring the town has adequate control over the outcome
Preserving “rural character” - including the quality and connectivity of open space
Providing a diversity of housing types, including higher density and affordable housing
Preservation of water resources
Managing traffic impacts
Ensuring sustainability: water, food, financial resources, “green” development
Planning for future municipal needs

Other concerns and ideas offered were: job creation; alternative energy; preservation of high-quality schools; minimal negative impact of commercial development on downtown; improvement of pedestrian connections; improvement of recreation facilities/athletic fields/corridor to State Park; continued agricultural use; aesthetics/what the Town looks like; integration of Weston Nurseries plans with overall Town plans; waste management capacity; prevention of sprawl; respect for cultural heritage; protection of property values; and buffers to protect neighbors.

Coming to Consensus on Best Planning Alternative

As the ten tables reported their opinions on which of the three hypothetical reference scenarios best met these criteria, some trends became clear:

Unanimously, table reports rejected the idea of letting future development in the study area occur per existing single family home zoning, which data show would have the highest negative fiscal impact for Hopkinton.
A consensus emerged around proactive planning and zoning changes -- regardless of whether or not the town exercises its 61A rights on Weston Nurseries -- to enable a mix of uses in defined areas, including expanded retail within the town's character, professional office development, municipal uses, and a wider mix of housing options than would be allowed under current zoning.
A consensus did not emerge on whether the town should exercise its 61A rights on Weston Nurseries.

Underneath the consensus about mixed uses through planning and zoning, two main points of view emerged regarding 61A land purchase:

1. Enable Mixed Uses Through Planning and Zoning – Plus, Purchase 61A Land

Many were in favor of the town purchasing 61A land as it becomes available, to ensure maximum control over what happens with the land and on what timeframe, achieving neutral or positive tax impact, and recouping costs by selling land for development. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) was mentioned as an experienced entity that assists towns in situations like this. However, doubts were raised about whether the Town could properly manage a purchase as large as 700+ acres on its own, about the amount of time it could take to recover costs, about infrastructure costs the
town would bear, and the sense that there’s not enough time to fully evaluate a purchase.

2. Enable Mixed Uses Through Planning and Zoning – But Don’t Purchase 61A Land

Many were in favor of using zoning as the primary strategy to achieve density and open space, without purchase of 61A land, as a way to ensure less cost and risk, retain a moderate level of control over the outcome, achieve a neutral or positive tax impact, allow more time to plan in the short-term, and shift infrastructure costs to the developer. Advocates of this approach recognized that input from the community would be a critical component in the preparing of new zoning to achieve the consensus vision. However, questions were raised about the effectiveness of planning and zoning changes that would come after a developer would already have taken ownership of land, and concerns were raised about the town’s ability to successfully partner with developers to achieve the town’s goals.

What Happens Next – Planning

The next step in the planning process is for planning consultant Sasaki to make recommendations and provide a menu of planning and zoning tools and approaches to achieve the Town’s consensus vision for future development in specific portions of the East Hopkinton study area. This summer, regardless of the outcome of the Weston Nurseries related 61A purchase decision, the Planning Board and Zoning Advisory Committee will begin developing proposed zoning changes for East Hopkinton to achieve the consensus vision. This work will advance through an open and public process that will include public hearings and discussions, involving the town, property owners, developers and the public. Zoning changes would be presented to Town Meeting in the fall of 2007 at the earliest and would require a two thirds vote to take effect.

What Happens Next – 61A Decision

Concurrent with the East Hopkinton planning effort, the Town is moving forward more immediately with its decision as to whether to exercise the right of first refusal to purchase Weston Nurseries land under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 61A. That decision must occur within 120 days from the time of the Purchase and Sale between Boulder Capital and Weston Nurseries, a period that expires June 23, 2007. The Board of Selectmen have legal authority to make the decision, but any appropriations would be voted at a Special Town Meeting.

A Special Town Meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2007 for the town to vote on articles related to this decision. Voters at the June 11 Special Town Meeting will have three choices:

Assign our 61A purchase rights to a land conservation entity, TPL. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) would work in partnership with private developers to create a conservation development that achieves legally protected open space and development that is in line with town goals but that could be less intense than what might be envisioned by a developer acting without community and TPL participation. If Town Meeting votes to assign our rights to The Trust for Public Land , an appropriation would have to be approved of an amount that will be determined once TPL and developer contributions would be finalized. This would also necessitate a debt exclusion override vote at an election that would be scheduled for June 18, 2007.
Buy the property ourselves. If Town Meeting votes in favor of the town purchasing the land then a special election would be held June 18 to validate an appropriation of borrowed funds through a debt exclusion override.
Waive our rights to purchase directly or in partnership with TPL. If Town Meeting votes against the town purchasing the land, then Boulder Capital would at that point be free to move ahead with the purchase.