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Good news follows bad in Westwood
Station saga
SJC rules against
town, but state agrees to fund most infrastructure requests
By Jay Turner
Citizen Staff
While there is
no way to sugarcoat last week’s defeat in the state’s highest
court, officials in Canton remain very optimistic that the town
will end up on the winning side of its dispute with Westwood
Station after all — perhaps even sharing in the spoils alongside
the developer — now that the state has agreed to fund nearly all
of the town’s infrastructure requests.
Although
Canton, unlike neighboring Westwood, does not stand to gain tax
revenues from the 4.5 million-square-foot project, the state’s
recent commitment of up to $55 million will reportedly pay for
many of the roadway improvements that the town had been fighting
for all along.
Canton
Selectman Bob Burr confirmed as much in a telephone interview
Saturday, noting that the targeted infrastructure improvements,
which include
a new ramp off Interstate 95 North
at Dedham Street and widening of the Dedham Street Corridor,
would “largely satisfy the needs of the town of Canton.”
News
of the state’s investment was particularly encouraging for
Canton officials as it came just days after the Supreme Judicial
Court had ruled against the town in its bid to appeal an
environmental permit obtained by the project’s developer, Cabot,
Cabot & Forbes. The court determined that Canton had waited too
long before filing an objection to the permit, which was issued
in January 2008; however, Burr said the town had nothing to
object to until highway permits were obtained, at which point
they filed an appeal within the required 30 days.
Still, Burr
called the ruling an “obvious blow to the town of Canton,” and
he echoed state Representative Bill Galvin’s contention that it
could very well lead to municipalities filing frivolous lawsuits
against developers before they can prove any harm has been done.
“The law’s
trying to do one thing (prevent lawsuits at the latter stages of
a development process), but it actually creates other problems,”
Burr explained.
But in terms
of undermining Canton’s overall position with regard to roadway
improvements, the court ruling, it seems, will have little to no
effect. For not only has the state agreed to pay for the
requested infrastructure upgrades; it has also made the funds
dependent on continued cooperation with Canton, according to the
Boston Globe, which cited a letter from the Patrick
Administration to the developer.
Specifically,
the Globe
reported on Friday that the letter “urged
Cabot to continue working with Canton officials to come up with
additional traffic improvements to prevent cars from backing up
on the town’s streets.”
Burr also
alluded to the cooperation from the Patrick Administration,
adding that he expects all parties to settle any remaining
differences within a reasonable timeframe.
“We are in
continued discussions with the developer and the state,” Burr
said Saturday, “and we remain optimistic that a solution that
satisfies all parties involved will be reached in a short period
of time.”
As for those
who are anxiously awaiting the project’s completion, a CC&F
executive told the Globe last week that he is confident work
will begin “in the coming months.” The developer also has
incentive to get started as the state funds are reportedly
conditioned on the project breaking ground this year.
According to
a report in the Boston Herald, the first phase of the
development is expected to include 400,000 square feet of retail
space anchored by a Wegmans supermarket and a Target store. The
Herald added that “more
retail, plus offices and housing, are envisioned for the
transit-oriented development as the commercial and residential
real estate markets improve.”
January 28, 2010
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