Winchester to Look for New Developer for Wright-Locke Farm

Winchester has put together a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for and plans on sending it out sometime this summer.

“This is a different animal than it was before,” said Selectman Roger Berman, referring to the RFP and the farm. “There was a lot of work done to the farm already and a developer is going to benefit from that. There’s a lot of potential here.”

The town’s original deal with Abbott Real Estate Development, LLC, when Abbott was unable to make its payments to the town. Abbott purchased the farm in 2007 for $13.6 million with plans of creating housing units on a section of the farm.

According to Selectman Thomas Howley, this RFP is slightly different than the one the town sent out a few years ago.

“This does not comment on it being an over 55 community,” Howley said. “Before we had that and it had a substantial financial impact. It’s a way to deflate the offering price and protect the town from certain costs.”

Howley also said that this RFP also does not mention affordable housing.

Jim Whitehead, of the Wrighte-Locke Farm Conservancy, said that some of the major issues he would like to see included in an RFP would be an effort from the developer to protect the sightlines the farm has. He suggested a developer could create some type of landscape barrier between the farm and the complex.

“Because the property [to be purchased] is close to the historic buildings I’d like the developer to consider planting some trees as a barrier,” Whitehead said. “That would be aesthetically pleasing to the farm.”

Whitehead also said that he would also like the farm to maintain its connection to the open space in Lexington.

The town is excepting public comment on the RFP until Wednesday, June 29. At that time, Town Counsel, Wade Welch and Assistant Town Manager, Mark Twogood will finalize the document before sending it out.