Yes, I recall that there was difficulty over the sewer and water lines. And I recall that there was a $400,000 number - and that astute negotiation by Chris Petrini managed to get the amount the town paid reduced by several hundred thousands. Wonder what would have happened had he been in charge of the whole shebang to begin with? As he is now, as town counsel in the Danforth Farms negotiation.
Speaking of the 9/90 development with the tight pipes. That was the one that was the refuse dump that required capping at a cost no one could estimate, wasn't it? The one that, as part of the deal, National Development undertook to cap it at an expected cost of $300,000, but knowing it could cost twice as much or more? Which, with the DEP on our tails about capping it, was the reason the town really _needed_ to get rid of it to begin with? 9/90? Ah, yes, the empty lot bringing in virtually no revenue whatsoever that now has a number of major office buildings on it, all sending in their taxes each year? I could whine about the TIF, I suppose - except, even so, it's still a good deal. And I remember how attractive it was when I first saw it - a weed-choked field with an old building on it that was being pillaged by vandals. Almost as attractive as the NESG site. Yes, development at NESG will bring more traffic to OCP, whether it is as a PUD or an office complex. No, it will not go away, and if you really want to see a lawsuit, just try refusing the owner and developer access to Riverpath without an airtight legal case. Somehow I find the notion of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in town money on a case we will almost certainly lose less attractive than accepting $2 million for Riverpath access to the PUD and $3 million more in traffic mitigation. And I live on the east side of OCP. I am so sick of people in this town chopping at each other and chopping at everything. And I really do not appreciate this campaign attack on the current Board of Selectmen, town counsel, and Planning Board. The question is, do we really want to maintain a played-out gravel pit as the centerpiece of Saxonville? We're not likely to get it, even if we do. Something big is going in, and the two questions for Framingham to ask are, would we rather have offices or neighbors? And, if the former, is there something to be gained by allowing the permitting process now rather than not? Rene Mandel Pct. 3
