NORTHBOROUGH – A decision regarding whether a developer’s plans for the White Cliffs mansion may move forward may be on the horizon.
The vote is tentatively scheduled to take place during the Select Board’s May 22 meeting.
According to Planning Director Laurie Connors, the next step is for the Select Board to decide if they want to continue the due diligence period with developer Metro West Collaborative Development and advance the potential sale of the property to Town Meeting for a vote this fall.
How we got here
White Cliffs was constructed in 1886 as a summer home for Smith & Wesson’s Daniel Wesson. Northborough purchased the property in 2016.
The town began accepting proposals for the mansion in late 2022. Ultimately, Northborough received three responses, though one was deemed not to have met the minimum criteria. In January, the White Cliffs Committee recommended that the Select Board award a contract to Metro West, which proposed the construction of 52 units of rental housing.
Metro West was last before the Select Board in March before returning before the Select Board on May 8; Metro West also held an open house May 3.
“We saw it as an opportunity to preserve a historic resource for the town that is so important to so many people and also create the additional community benefit of affordable housing,” Metro West’s Executive Director Caitlin Madden told the Community Advocate during the open house.
During the May 8 meeting, the Select Board and residents asked numerous including questions, including about property taxes, upgrades to the mansion for it to be Americans With Disabilities Act compliant and traffic studies.
White Cliffs Committee member Norm Corbin said his goal over the past couple of months has been to bring the decision of White Cliffs to a Town Meeting vote and “not be rejected by only up to three members of the Board of Selectmen.”
Corbin also said that he was “disappointed” with the board and the fact a vote wasn’t taken May 8. He said Metro West’s proposal has been available to the board since late January. Then-members Scott Rogers and Jason Perreault, who Corbin said have heard three months of public input, won’t be on the board May 22. Laura Ziton and Lisa Maselli have been elected to their seats.
“In two weeks, the two new board members will have been board for a total of 12 days,” Corbin said. “How in 12 days are they going to be able to take all of this information that has been reported to the board?”
Select Board Chair Mitch Cohen said Interim Town Administrator Bob Reed encouraged the board to wait after the election.
Rogers said there are entering members who have been “quite public” in their opposition to the proposal and process.
“I’m a little bit concerned whether members who have already pre-decided or might have otherwise prejudice if such a member should recuse themselves as an abutter, as being very vociferously against and having in the past called this board and this process malfeasant, a dereliction of duty and folly,” Rogers said.
Rogers did not name the person he was talking about.
Cohen said he was aware from a “couple of members of the public” who have contacted the board with similar questions. He said state ethics rules are that individuals decide whether they should recuse themselves.
“That person has been suggested to get some detailed guidance from the State Ethics Commission. I hope they do, and I hope they follow that guidance,” said Cohen.
If Town Meeting approves
According to Connors, if Town Meeting agrees to the sale of White Cliffs, Northborough would execute an option to purchase with the developer that would be subject to the developer fulfilling conditions.
The execution of an option to purchase would enable the developer to have access to the preliminary funding necessary to advance their design of the project, conduct a traffic study and apply for permits, grants and other type of financing.
“Metro West does not intend to take possession of the property until the financing is in hand — in approximately 2.5 years,” Connors said.
In an April 10 letter, Community Preservation Committee Chair John Campbell wrote that the committee voted 8-0 to request the Select Board to execute the option to purchase.
If the board opts not to advance the proposal to Town Meeting, Connors said they would go back to the drawing board.
