City councilors last night blasted the state's purported desire to see 250 to 300 units of housing built on the Walter E. Fernald Developmental site, with some saying the state should give the city the land.
City Council President Thomas Curtin asked councilors to voice their support for the Fernald Reuse Committee's contention that the state's suggested housing numbers are "too dense" for the 196-acre property on Trapelo Road.
"The committee was very disappointed with the state's proposal," said Curtin, vice chairman of the Reuse Committee.
Other councilors wasted no time in supporting Curtin's request, while criticizing the state's concept for housing.
Ward 9 Councilor Robert Logan said the state should give the city the land as a "down payment" for not having to pay city taxes on the land for years while using the city's services.
"It just irks me that the state basically wants to maximize their financial benefit off this piece of property," Logan said.
Curtin said the state has never told city representatives how much money it hopes to generate from Fernald housing.
But Curtin said he estimated the state's proposal for 250 to 300 residential units along with 150 units of a health care or institutional facility could be in the "ballpark" of $50 million.
"Is the state really that hard up for money?" said Ward 5 Councilor Gary Marchese. "I hope there is a turnaround in the state's thinking and it's not all dollars and cents for them."
Curtin said the city and state are each holding key cards for future talks. He said the state has yet to declare the land surplus. The state plans to close Fernald by July 2010.
He said the city would have to approve a zoning change for the state's housing concept. "The card we're holding is the zone change," he said.
Ward 2 Councilor Ed Tarallo said he would not support any proposal that doesn't adhere to current zoning, which would allow only for conservation and recreation uses.
Tarallo said he would only vote for a reuse that the community wants for Fernald and "not what the state wants to force down our throat."
The Fernald Reuse Committee is comprised of city and state officials as well as local residents.
Curtin said there is seemingly unanimous support on the committee for a new cemetery to be part of any reuse plan. There also is a consensus to have recreational fields on the site.
Curtin said local members of the committee have tried to convince the state the economic component could come from a mix of uses, such as a mammography or dialysis center, or some type of "medical office suites."
"What happens there is going to have a huge impact on this city, in its entirety," Curtin said.
Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.
