Special Town Meeting Tomorrow 7pm – Pond Street Land Purchase

Special Town Meeting
Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00pm 
Hopkinton Middle School Auditorium
Read the Warrant (Agenda)

Educate Hopkinton will be live tweeting from the event as usual, follow us @educate01748.

A 2/3rds majority vote is required for the town to purchase 203 Pond Street. All registered voters are invited to participate, but you must attend the meeting IN PERSON to vote.

Summary:

The town has the right of first refusal to purchase land at 203 Pond Street for $2,000,000 and must make a decision by March 14. In order to go through, it must pass both at Town Meeting 3/3 and Town Election 3/10.

A Yes Vote on Question 1 means:

• The town will acquire 32 acres of land at 203 Pond St designated as “Lot 13 – Open Space Parcel” in the subdivision plan.

A Yes Vote on Question 2 means:

• The town will acquire 8 acres of land at 22 School St. This gift is contingent on the town purchasing all of the 203 Pond St land.

A Yes Vote on Question 3 means:

• The town will purchase for $2,000,000 the remaining 12 acres of land at 203 Pond St designated as “Lots 1-12” in the subdivision plan. A 2/3rd’s majority vote is required. This purchase would be a debt exclusion override and would also require a vote at the polls on 3/10.

A No Vote means:

• The sale to developer Diamond Builders will go forward. The developer’s plan, already approved by the Planning Board, is to build a 12-lot subdivision with a maximum of 12 buildings to be built on the site, with the remaining 32 acres designated as open space.

Next Week:

• Special Town Election – Tuesday, March 10 – A simple majority vote is required for the town to purchase 203 Pond Street via a Debt Exclusion override. This is a regular ballot vote at the polls.

Links and Documents for More Info:

• 09-22-14: 203 Pond St. OSLPD – Definitive Subdivision Plan presented to Planning Board (large 16MB file)
• 09-22-14: 203 Pond St. – Color Layout Plan presented to Planning Board
• 09-25-14: Certificate of Approval from the Planning Board for a 12-lot subdivision, leaving the remaining 32.43 acres designated as open space.
• 11-14-14: Notice to Board of Selectmen of Intent to Sell for $2,000,000.
• Special Town Meeting Timeline
• Whitehall Woods Alliance website
• Map of 203 Pond Street in relation to Whitehall State Park and Upton State Forest
• Special Town Meeting Warrant and Ballot Question
• VIDEO: Point of Order 203 Pond Street – HCAM
• 03-02-15: Metrowest Daily News article “Hopkinton: Residents to vote on buying Pond Street land”