Lee Property Survey results announced
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Westborough - Forty-nine percent of Westborough residents who completed and returned the Lee Property Survey believe the town should not do anything with the property at this time.

The Lee Property is a 22-acre parcel that runs from a gravel driveway at 169 West Main St. toward Mill Pond, but ends before getting to the water's shoreline. The property was given to the town and designated for Open Space use only.

The results of the survey, which was conducted throughout the fall and compiled Jan. 14, show that 41 percent of the respondents would be in favor of the development of a multi-use complex similar to Shrewsbury's Dean Park.

Last year the Board of Selectmen created the Lee Property Committee to develop a proposal for the use of the land. As its first order of business, the committee, which is chaired by Selectman Tim Dodd, created and distributed the survey.

Of the 263 residents who responded to the survey, 68 percent oppose using the land as an addition to Westborough Country Club, and 48 percent oppose using the land to create a park similar to the one on Haskell Street, which includes ball fields.

As far as potential recreational uses for the parcel, 73 percent of survey respondents indicated they would like hiking permitted on the site, while 46 percent would like to have the property include a picnic area.

Other popular responses include the creation of an ice-skating rink (43 percent), the ability to canoe, row or kayak on Mill Pond (43 percent), the creation of dog walking trails (42 percent), a playground (35 percent), a pavilion for outdoor gatherings (34 percent) and the creation of a cross-country trail (33 percent).

Dodd and the committee have acknowledged that while some of the proposed uses that were on the survey are not permissible under current town bylaws, they were included as a way to determine some of the po- tential uses that interest residents.

As for the matter of funding whatever is to become of the property, 75 percent of returned surveys indicate a desire for the town to investigate obtaining donations and federal or state grant monies. A lesser number of respondents, 66 percent, indicated using Open Space Trust Funds.

The suggestion to raise, appropriate and use property taxes was not popular, as 38 percent of those who replied to the survey were opposed to that as an option, although 31 percent of respondents approved raising taxes to fund the project.

In its release detailing the results of the survey, the Lee Property Committee said it plans to use the results to move forward and create a proposal for the use of the property, which it will present to the Board of Selectmen at a later date.

The Lee Property Committee meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month in Room 23 of the Forbes Building, 45 West Main St., and the public is invited to attend.