Forest sale is scratched

Scope of project too large for town

After much hoopla in town and beyond, Burlington officials are putting the brakes on an ambitious development proposal to turn a large swath of forest land into the state's largest life sciences complex, senior housing, and playing fields.

The Board of Selectmen has decided against selling the 247-acre landlocked parcel near Route 3, saying the community is not ready to let go of the property.

"The land is not for sale," said Sonia Rollins, chairwoman of the panel.

But Patriot Partners, the development group that holds an option to buy the land if the town does decide to sell, is not giving up on its vision for the site bounded by Route 3, Interstate 95, and the towns of Lexington and Bedford.

"It's incumbent upon us to show that we have something that warrants further discussion," Patriot Partners attorney Robert Buckley said after the board announced last week it isn't selling the property. "We think the project has some merit. We'll see where it takes us."

But whether that discussion contin ues in a formal way is up to Town Meeting, which starts tomorrow. An article on the warrant asks residents whether a town task force should continue working with Patriot Partners.

The Landlocked Parcel Study Committee has been working with Patriot Partners on its concept for the site since the spring. Both the Board of Selectmen and the committee recommend ending discussions with the development group.

Nolan Glantz, chairman of the task force, said committee members voted 6 to 3 last week against the Patriot proposal. Glantz said after meeting with Patriot Partners throughout the summer and listening to feedback from the community, the panel decided that the concept was too big. He also said committee members think the town should decide what it wants on the parcel and not have its future dictated by a developer.

"At the full scale, and to sell the entire property, it's too much," he said.

Glantz said Town Meeting could vote in favor of continuing discussions with Patriot Partners, though the final decision about selling the property rests with the Board of Selectmen.

"The board was saying we need to take a step back," Rollins said. "The Board of Selectmen is the custodian of the land and as the custodians, it's only fair to say the community isn't ready for this. It's too much too soon."

Rollins said while the board is not in favor of selling the land now, it doesn't mean the it won't consider selling it down the road.

She said the board's position also doesn't prevent Patriot from reworking its concept and bringing it back before the town. "Certainly there can still be discussions, but we're not ready to do something in the immediate future," she said.

Rollins said the Patriot proposal isn't without merit, but the timing isn't right. She said the town needs to know more about the land. The town should look at how much of the parcel can be developed, how important the land is to water protection, and how it can be made accessible, she said.

"Before you can make an educated decision, you need to know what you have," Rollins said.

The town took the land by eminent domain nearly 20 years ago to protect its water supply. Patriot Partners has a right of first refusal on the property if the town decides to sell, but that option expires in May 2010.

The land is mainly used for recreational activities by Lexington and Bedford residents who have pedestrian access to the site. Both of the abutting towns have taken legal easements on the land directly bordering the property to prevent vehicular access.

Martha Simon, a spokeswoman for the Friends of the Burlington Landlocked Forest, said she hopes the Board of Selectmen's position sends a strong message to Town Meeting members. She said the forest is the town's last large parcel of open space and should not be developed.

"If Town Meeting votes to end discussions, that's the end of it," she said.

Simon said she hopes all the debate about the development proposal will raise awareness about the forest. Since the parcel is difficult to get to, Simon said few residents in town have ever been on the property.

"There aren't a lot of people who know how beautiful it is," she said. "We'd like to make it more accessible."

Jennifer Fenn Lefferts can be reached at jflefferts@yahoo.com.