Hingham Harbor land buy talk today

By L.E. Crowley
Town Correspondent

The Community Preservation Committee could decide today whether to ask selectmen to add a another article to a Special Town Meeting, in order to purchase land on Hingham Harbor.

Philip Edmundson, chairman of the committee, said members will meet today at 4:30 p.m. to discuss buying a property near the rotary that officials have learned is being offered for sale.

“Everything is moving in real time and we need more information,” Edmundson said.

Information about the property, Edmundson said, has been second-hand, and members are waiting for a report that might include the size of the property and the asking price. However, he said, much pertinent information will not be discussed in public, because the committee would be negotiating a contract for the purchase of land, which is a matter for closed session.

Edmundson said this afternoon’s meeting also is expected to indicate whether the board will have to move quickly to buy it and prevent the property from potentially being developed for commercial or other uses.

He said the committee bought a similar property last year and turned what was once a gas station into open space along the harbor.

During Wednesday’s selectmen’s meeting, Selectman John Riley said the preservation committee would discuss what he called “a once in a lifetime” chance and wanted other selectmen to leave the door open for at least one other question for voters to decide at next month's Special Town Meeting. Selectmen on Wednesday set Aug. 3 as the date for the meeting, to determine the name of a newly reconstructed school.

Selectmen decided to close the meeting's warrant and limit the questions to the two articles concerning the name of the currently titled Dorothy Galo Elementary School.

However, selectmen Chairmwoman Laura Burns said if the preservation committee needs to have the property decided during Special Town Meeting, selectmen are meeting next week and could reopen the warrant.