SCIARAPPA FARM UPDATE: Town Takes Easements By Eminent Domain; Developer Reduces Housing Proposal From 650 To 300 Units

WILMINGTON, MA — At the May 2023 Annual Town Meeting, Wilmington voters overwhelmingly authorized the Select Board to spend up to $3.9 million from “free cash” reserves to acquire all or a portion of the Sciarappa Farm property (333 Andover St.) for future municipal purposes including — but not limited to — a fire/police substation and various passive and active recreational uses, like a hockey rink.

While there has been no public update about the property from town officials since the Town Meeting, the Select Board has met twice behind closed doors in Executive Session, once on May 22, 2023 and again on July 17, 2023, to discuss the potential acquisition. Eminent domain appears to be under consideration, and was included as an option in the article’s motion at Town Meeting.

At last week’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Jeff Hull shared an interesting letter from Jay Doherty, CEO of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, a Wakefield-based real estate development firm. Doherty contends that his company holds a binding legal agreement to purchase the Sciarappa Farm property.

Doherty previously presented a proposal to construct 650 multi-family units at Sciarappa Farm to the Select Board back in December 2022. While no formal vote was taken, the Select Board — based on each member’s comments —  clearly did not support the potential project and, instead, backed the Town Meeting efforts to have the Town acquire the property. According to Doherty, the Town never did follow up with formal feedback on his proposal.

According to this new letter, Doherty’s company is revising its proposal as follows:

• develop 300 market rate multifamily units (no longer 650 units) pursuant to the new MBTA model zoning and Site Plan Review rules. The apartments would be no more than 4 stories and have 2 parking spots for every 1 unit.
• add affordable units if desired by the Town, at a ratio of three additional market rate units for each affordable unit up to not more than 15% of the total resulting unit count.
• donate the balance of the property to the town at no cost for the Town’s dedication to municipal services, including a fire substation and community recreational facility.
• mutually agree with Town on a site plan review to incorporate the Town uses with the multifamily housing development
• Town will develop nature trails throughout the property and areas of public open space in concurrence with the housing project’s schedule.
• mutually agree with Town on infrastructure development addressing road, waste management and utilities

The state’s new Housing Choice guidelines, as explained by Doherty, requires Wilmington to create zoning on 50 acres for as-of-right development of multi-family housing. Only half of the district must be within a half mile of a commuter rail station. Doherty suggested the Town support his housing development proposal at Sciarappa Farm as a means to satisfy, in part, this new state law.

“I believe that this proposal meets several needs for the Town on a favorable cost basis, as the needed land for municipal use comes at no cost, while the Town also meets its obligations under Housing Choice,” Doherty contended.

Doherty offered to provide another presentation with more detained plans and a more detailed proposal, if the Select Board was interested.

Doherty also noted that the Town recently took, by eminent domain, easements for environmental testing of the property.

“I note that Cabot, Cabot and Forbes (CC&F) holds the exclusive right to purchase the Property and the Town provided no notice to us, even as a courtesy,” wrote Doherty. “For the record, I note that CC&F does not consent to these or other takings.”

Doherty ended the letter by noting his firm intends to pursue alternate development plans for a variety of private uses for the site, if the current multi-family housing development proposal is not supported by the town.

No Select Board member offered any comments after Town Manager Jeff Hull summarized the letter.