Project's fans press voters to oust foes
Selectmen, developers, and activists are encouraging Wayland residents to vote new members onto the Planning Board and the Board of Road Commissioners, saying that changing the composition of the boards could revive the controversial Town Center project.
"If we want to have any hope of bringing back Town Center and the needed revenue, we need to elect new people and change the leadership," said Lisa Valone, a founder and cochairwoman of an advocacy group, Save Our Services.
The Town Center project is an ambitious, multiuse proposal that would be situated in the heart of Wayland. Supporters say it would be a boon for the town because of generous payments promised by the developers and the tax revenues that its businesses would generate. Detractors say it would snarl traffic and make the community a less desirable place to live.
The developers said in January they would stop pursuing the project, citing resistance by town boards. But in a meeting with selectmen two weeks ago, they suggested that if the makeup of the boards changed and new chairmen were elected, they'd consider coming back to the table.
Selectmen agree that the April 24 election for Planning Board and Road Commission offers a chance to save a project essential to the town's future, according to the board's chairman, Joseph F. Nolan. He said selectmen believe they received a mandate to make the project happen when 80 percent of voters at a Special Town Meeting last May approved a zoning change needed for the project.
"Electing new members that are committed to carrying out the mandate is the only way to ensure it gets done," Nolan said.
Charles R. Irving, a partner with the development company, KGI Properties of Boston, said, "I'm watching the election and hoping there will be a new mandate and new leadership."
Pat Abramson, a former selectwoman who once voted against the project but now says she "accepts" it, said she found it "alarming to see this coalition of a commercial developer and a get- out-the-vote machine like SOS and top people in our town government who are embracing each other to further an agenda."
She worries that the election won't result in electing people who care about doing what's right for Wayland. "You're going to get people in there to do what's right for the developer," she said.
Save Our Services, which describes itself as a grass-roots organization that wants to preserve the quality of life in Wayland, has been a strong supporter of the project. It recently sent e-mails to residents suggesting that they vote for candidates who are committed to making the project a reality.
While not explicitly endorsing candidates, the e-mails pointed out those who had supported the group's mission in the past.
In the Planning Board race, Harvey Montague and Kevin Murphy are vying for an open seat. The organization mentioned Murphy as one of its supporters. William Steinberg is running unopposed for another seat.
Montague said he was "a definite yes vote for Town Center," even though Save Our Services had not listed him as one of its supporters.
Montague, who has 35 years experience working as an architect and urban planner, also said he wondered whether this is the way to get the most qualified candidates elected to boards.
"I don't like that it's being politicized," he said.
In the Road Commissioner race, incumbent Stewart Millerd is vying with Eric Knapp and Alan Shubin for two seats on the board. The organization mentioned Knapp and Shubin as "supporters of our mission and efforts."
Millerd, who has served six years on the board, said he also supports the Town Center project, believing that the revenue it would generate is needed for a new highway garage and for the town's schools. He said he's not worried that the group didn't list him as a supporter.
"That doesn't bother me too much," he said. "I think I've done a good enough job to get reelected."
The developers had proposed a mix of housing, office, and retail space for a 55-acre property off Route 20. Plans featured a municipal building and a 2-acre town green.
The chairwoman of the Planning Board, Lynne Dunbrack, and the chairman of the Board of Road Commissioners, Mark Santangelo, have defended their boards' work, saying they were scrutinizing the project to make sure it was right for Wayland.
Santangelo said he was disappointed by the "finger-pointing and vilifying" of some board members by the developers.
Dunbrack couldn't be reached for comment last week.
Typically, town boards elect officers right after the elections. Irving, the developer, said Dunbrack and Santangelo would have to be replaced "or we won't come back."
