The state has said it won't appraise the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center property under its current zoning, so Mayor Jeannette McCarthy said she'd do her own assessment.
In a communication to the City Council, the mayor said she's contracted for an independent appraisal of the 196-acre Fernald parcel on Trapelo Road.
McCarthy said Friday that the appraisal would determine the land's worth if it were used for conservation, recreation and open space only, which is what is allowed under it's current zoning.
"We need to know what the current value of the land is," McCarthy said.
The appraisal would also be done to determine what the land's value would be if the state continued to use the parcel, or for any use that may be exempt from the current zoning. For instance, the state's Dover Amendment exempts educational facilities from zoning restrictions.
McCarthy said the city's appraisal of the land should cost under $20,000.
The Fernald Reuse Committee - comprised of city officials, residents and state officials - is in the midst of coming up with a plan for the future of the property.
The mayor said that state doesn't want to do its appraisal for the property until the reuse plan is completed.
"The state is only going to do the appraisal when we have the plan," McCarthy said.
What the reuse plan for Fernald will entail is still up for debate. While the committee has seemed to come to a consensus on uses such as a cemetery and recreational fields, city and state officials seem to be at odds on the issue of housing.
State officials say they would like to see the land developed to allow for about 250 to 300 units of housing. City officials, however, have balked at that proposal, saying it's too dense.
McCarthy is also seeking estimates for a title search of the property. McCarthy said that the appraisal is also important to determine whether the city would respond if the state puts out a request for proposal for the property.
The Reuse Committee will next meet on Dec. 3 for a public hearing at City Hall.
Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.
