Winchester Hopes to Have New Developer For Wright-Locke by the Fall

Winchester Town Management and the are hoping to present a new developer for by the Fall Town Meeting.

According to Assistant Town Manager, Mark Twogood there’s approximately $12 million still owed on the Wright-Locke Farm BANs. Before the town $1.6 million, while Winchester paid one principle payment of approximately $300K last year.

State Senator Pat Jehlen and State Representative Jason Lewis recently announced that a for the Town of Winchester both houses of the state legislature and been signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick. 

This petition will enable Winchester to in 2007. Without passage of this home rule petition would have required a principal repayment of $310,000 in July.

However, Planning Board member, Drew Bottaro, wants to ensure that the town has some leeway, in order to find the best bid.

“I’m concerned that the board is required to accept the best of a bad lot,” Bottaro said. “We should leave some room, that if we don’t like the bids, we can do it all over again.”

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.

“My concern is that I think there should be some protection for the town given our past experiences,” said Jim Whitehead, President of the Wright-Locke Farm conservancy. “Maybe there could be a payment or performance bond that guarantees payments to the town. Or if they fail to maintain the schedule, they could lose tax revenue. There should be some sort of penalty.”

According to Selectman Thomas Howley, the RFP does not mention age restriction, like the one Abbott had originally signed, and there is no affordable housing or rental housing information in this RFP.

“Hopefully we get a bunch of proposals and if we don’t like any, we can judge then,” said Selectman Roger Berman. “But if we include 55-plus in the document, then we’re dead on arrival.”

It’s been five years since Town Meeting had originally purchased the property, and Bottaro said things might be different.

“The town’s changed in the last five years,” Bottaro said. “The sentiment to the farm may have as well, and we need to be aware of that.”