Lawmakers aim to break logjam on liquor licenses

Wegmans and two other retailers would be able to sell alcohol, settling one issue, but other concerns remain in the Westwood Station saga. (Aaron Houston/The New York Times/File)

Canton and Westwood officials, local legislators, and the developer of Westwood Station are expected to meet at the State House this morning to try to break the impasse that has stalled efforts to grant a beer and wine license to Wegmans grocery store, expected to be the anchor tenant in the sprawling project off Route 128.

The license for Wegmans, a high-end chain based in New York, requires the Legislature to pass a home-rule petition - normally a fairly easy process. But in this instance, it has turned into a saga that has dragged on for months.

A recently negotiated compromise between Wegmans' competitor, Roche Bros., and the town of Westwood, which agreed to issue three new licenses, seemed to clear the final hurdle. But now a disagreement between the developer and the town of Canton about traffic from the massive retail, business, and housing project on University Avenue is threatening to keep the petition from going before the House for a vote.

"There's never a dull moment," said state Representative Paul McMurtry, a Democrat from Dedham whose district includes Westwood. "We were all taken by surprise."

McMurtry called the meeting today to try to iron out the latest hiccup in the effort to get the home-rule petition passed. He had been confident about approval last Thursday after state Representative Angelo Scaccia, a Readville Democrat and ally of Roche Bros., dropped his opposition once Westwood agreed to offer more licenses to competitors. The bill was on the rostrum and ready to roll, McMurtry said.

Enter colleague William Galvin, a Democrat from Canton, who questioned the House quorum - a tactic McMurtry used for weeks during his standoff with Scaccia - resulting in dismissal for the day. In an interview, Galvin said he regretted that the move came at Westwood's expense, but that Canton's concerns about the project needed to be heard before the matter could go forward.

The town of Canton has been in negotiations over traffic with developer Cabot Cabot & Forbes, concerned that the flow from the massive $1.5 billion development will smother already clogged local roads, especially near a planned Interstate 95 exit on Dedham Street.

"The developer wants to put up a temporary bridge then decide later if a bigger bridge is warranted," but that isn't OK, Galvin said.

Canton wants acceptable remedies put down on paper, something Galvin said C C & F has refused to do. Meanwhile, the town's legal bills, now at $750,000, are mounting. Galvin said: "They seem to want to drive up the bills to get Canton to cave. The town has already said they are not against the project, they just want the infrastructure in place."

Today's meeting will be an attempt to get Canton and the developer into agreement before the Legislative session convenes, McMurtry said. That way, Galvin won't question the quorum and the vote to enact the Wegmans license petition can take place, he said.

Jay Doherty, president of Cabot Cabot & Forbes, was unhappy with last week's turn of events, but said he would be at the meeting if McMurtry asks him. However, he said, "I don't know how I can be involved in a discussion in a House lounge on what took three years and millions of dollars in studies because one town doesn't like the results."

Canton not only participated in a regional traffic task force last year, but the Westwood Station project was delayed a year to accommodate its questions and concerns, he said: "I hoped we would have earned their good faith."

It's the developer that isn't negotiating in good faith, Galvin countered: "Any leverage they have is shrinking."

Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at mmbolton1@verizon.net.