Rockland to buy 36 acres of land for $900,000, preventing townhouses
We feel like we've literally hit a home run'
Wheeler Cowperthwaite
The Patriot Ledger
Published: 3:00 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2021 Updated: 2:01 p.m. ET Oct. 11, 2021
ROCKLAND – The town will pay $900,000 for 36 acres of land across from the Beech Street transfer station, preventing the construction of townhouses on the property.
The Rockland Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to buy the land, formerly the McCarthy Farm, during a meeting at the high school auditorium.
A $400,000 state grant will help pay for the land.
"Part of why we're all so happy about this is it's just so rare in local government that something this complicated, with this many moving parts, that costs a lot of money with complicated financing, and there's a special town meeting vote. We feel like we've literally hit a home run," Town Administrator Doug Lapp said in an interview.
The owner, the Louise McCarthy Living Trust, had entered a purchase-and-sale agreement with developer Thomas Hastings, of Hingham, for $900,000. Hastings wanted to combine the land with an adjoining lot, build up to 48 townhouses at the rear and donate 34 acres to the town as open space.
The town then sought, and received, a $400,000 grant from the state and residents voted unanimously at a special town meeting on Sept. 13 to allow the land purchase to go forward. However, the final decision was still up to the selectmen.
Sept. 10, 2021:Developer says he wants to build town houses, donate 34 acres to Rockland
Hastings did not comment at the meeting but he did deliver a letter to the selectmen on Oct. 5. In it, he said he would clean up the land, demolish the nine structures on the property and construct an entrance road, bathrooms and walking trails.
"The market rate townhomes would meet a desperately needed supply of moderately priced townhomes," Hastings said in the letter. "Rockland has fallen behind all of the surrounding towns in providing new housing."
The town will pay $500,000 for the land, with $250,000 coming from the stabilization fund and $250,000 from the Community Preservation Act fund.
Rockland was able to buy the land because the landowner received tax abatements from the town under a law called Chapter 61. In exchange, the owner had to give Rockland the right of first refusal to buy the land.
Lapp said a lot of paperwork needs to get done, including the town doing its due diligence at the property, looking for hazardous materials, and conducting a title search, and finally requesting reimbursement from the state after the sale goes through.
Resident Linda Ellis spoke in favor of the purchase, calling it a "gift from providence."
"No one is making any more open space, so right there that adds value to this situation," she said.
Only one resident, Bill Stewart, spoke against the purchase. He said the development proposal would be nearly as beneficial to the town, without spending $500,000, and would increase the town's affordable housing stock.
We feel like we've literally hit a home run'
Wheeler Cowperthwaite
The Patriot Ledger
Published: 3:00 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2021 Updated: 2:01 p.m. ET Oct. 11, 2021
ROCKLAND – The town will pay $900,000 for 36 acres of land across from the Beech Street transfer station, preventing the construction of townhouses on the property.
The Rockland Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to buy the land, formerly the McCarthy Farm, during a meeting at the high school auditorium.
A $400,000 state grant will help pay for the land.
"Part of why we're all so happy about this is it's just so rare in local government that something this complicated, with this many moving parts, that costs a lot of money with complicated financing, and there's a special town meeting vote. We feel like we've literally hit a home run," Town Administrator Doug Lapp said in an interview.
The owner, the Louise McCarthy Living Trust, had entered a purchase-and-sale agreement with developer Thomas Hastings, of Hingham, for $900,000. Hastings wanted to combine the land with an adjoining lot, build up to 48 townhouses at the rear and donate 34 acres to the town as open space.
The town then sought, and received, a $400,000 grant from the state and residents voted unanimously at a special town meeting on Sept. 13 to allow the land purchase to go forward. However, the final decision was still up to the selectmen.
Sept. 10, 2021:Developer says he wants to build town houses, donate 34 acres to Rockland
Hastings did not comment at the meeting but he did deliver a letter to the selectmen on Oct. 5. In it, he said he would clean up the land, demolish the nine structures on the property and construct an entrance road, bathrooms and walking trails.
"The market rate townhomes would meet a desperately needed supply of moderately priced townhomes," Hastings said in the letter. "Rockland has fallen behind all of the surrounding towns in providing new housing."
The town will pay $500,000 for the land, with $250,000 coming from the stabilization fund and $250,000 from the Community Preservation Act fund.
Rockland was able to buy the land because the landowner received tax abatements from the town under a law called Chapter 61. In exchange, the owner had to give Rockland the right of first refusal to buy the land.
Lapp said a lot of paperwork needs to get done, including the town doing its due diligence at the property, looking for hazardous materials, and conducting a title search, and finally requesting reimbursement from the state after the sale goes through.
Resident Linda Ellis spoke in favor of the purchase, calling it a "gift from providence."
"No one is making any more open space, so right there that adds value to this situation," she said.
Only one resident, Bill Stewart, spoke against the purchase. He said the development proposal would be nearly as beneficial to the town, without spending $500,000, and would increase the town's affordable housing stock.
this housing situation in America is designed to be on some goofy ass greedy shyt.