To The Editor:
We are writing in response to your recent article regarding next steps for the Westborough Golf Club Building to be discussed at the October 21 Town Meeting. Like many other tax-paying residents, we do not believe we should be spending millions of dollars on a recreation opportunity that a small fraction of the town enjoys, especially at a time when we have already spent, and are being asked to spend, many millions more at another town recreation site (1500 Union).
Even more concerning is that it appears to us that the town leaders have their own opinions and plans for the property and are manipulating the town citizens so that they can do what they want, beginning with voting amongst themselves, almost immediately, to tear down the historic structure, before receiving the cost of both a re-build and a new building (which has since been shown to be less than a million dollar difference according to a presentation by the architects). And now, deciding that the town should build a 5000 to 6000 sf building (for a private restaurant), when the golf course pro indicated that only 500 to 700 sf is required by the club for a pro shop.
Other ways we feel they have already made a decision and our “vote” is almost secondary:
- Wanting a restaurant consultant hired before voters have even voted for a new building with restaurant
- Not having developed a Request for Proposal (RFP) to secure a letter of intent, letter of commitment or lease. Without a tenant there is no income number.
- Requesting $450,000 for design/development before having a tenant or income number, yet asking taxpayers to commit to spending 6 or 7 million dollars
- Not presenting a modified pro-forma showing income the lease would provide and expenses the property would infer – instead just guessing the income and mentioning no expenses at all
- No word about impact on our real estate taxes, as we received for the library project
We have many more insights than there is space to print here which we plan to make available through other means.
See you at Town Meeting!
Luanne Crosby
R. Christopher Noonan
Westborough