A true landmark in the Town of Hopkinton, known as Weston Nurseries, will undergo quite a change in the not too distant future. Pardon the pun, but the landscape in the Town of Hopkinton will be forever changed because of the sale of this massive piece of property.
The sale was completed last week when Weston MA based Roy MacDowell of Boulder Capital completed a $23.7 million dollar deal to purchase the property. The land purchased is approximately 700 acres. Boulder Capital plans to build a community called Legacy Farms.Legacy Farms would include 940 residential units with a mix of single family homes, apartments, town-homes and condominiums. Some of the homes would also be "affordable" units under the state's guidelines for affordable housing. This venture would also include 450,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. There would be 500 acres left undisturbed.
The commercial and retail portion of this project would certainly help with the burden of taxes. This monumental piece of land first went under agreement back in December of last year (2006) when Boulder Capital signed a purchase and sale agreement with the Mezitt Family who currently owns the property. The land has been owned by the Mezzits for generations but due to some financial problems it needed to be sold in order to emerge from bankruptcy. The town had the first opportunity to buy the Weston Nurseries property due to the fact that it was agricultural property that was taxed at a reduced rate under state law Chapter 61A. The vote at Special town meeting in June, however, was for the town of Hopkinton not to buy this property.
There is much to be done before a shovel is put in the ground. There will be plenty of issues to talk about such as traffic, water and sewer, as well as determining the architecture of the retail site and developing a master plan. The developer will be asking for zoning changes to the property but has not determined exactly what they will be requesting at this point. There will be numerous Hopkinton town Boards involved in the process including The Zoning Advisory Committee, Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Conservation Commission, and Planning Board.
The Zoning Advisory Committee is the board in Hopkinton that oversees any zoning changes. Not all towns have a ZAC. Boulder Capital must also submit their plans through the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Act (MEPA). Any Zoning changes that occur on the property may happen in one of two ways. It could be an overlay district or a re-zoning of the property. An overlay district means the original zoning stays in place but there is a layer on top of that with different restrictions. For the Weston Nurseries property it, that would be single family lots with one acre zoning. Any zoning changes would have to be done so at a town meeting.
Boulder Capital plans on taking its ideas to the planning board and neighbors in the fall. Things are certainly going to get interesting in the town of Hopkinton. This was one of the most controversial decisions for the town of Hopkinton in many years. Growth and taxes in town have been big issues as the town's population has exploded in the last two decades. Hopkinton offers great access to highways, terrific schools, and small town feel without the typical chain store establishment such as McDonald's, that other neighboring towns have.
Change is inevitable....Hopkinton looks forward to guiding that change in a favorable way over the next ten years.
I am a life long resident of the Town of Hopkinton. I have worked as Realtor for the past 22+ years servicing Hopkinton MA. I am currently the Team Leader for the #2 RE/MAX Team in Massachusetts working for RE/MAX Executive Realty based in Hopkinton MA. I can be reached for all your real estate needs via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356. Visit my website at Hopkinton MA Real Estate.
Bill -
Isn't Weston Nurseries the company that supplied the plants for most of the This Old House renovations?
Where will Roger go to get his plants now?
Any idea about pricing of single family home in legacy farms? Do you know when they start to selling the homes (legacy Farms)?
Sam
Thanks for quick reply Bill..
I am looking for new homes (single family) and old homes which was built after 2000 in and around shrewsbury as well as West borough area. My price range is 400-430K. Could you please let me know if you find any..
Thanks again!
Bill,
I am a resident of Hopkinton and the first shovel hit the ground this week. I am going to find out who this "excavation" team is and file a formal complaint to the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen. I was harrassed, injured and humiliated by one of the three men out there today. AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROJECT?
Thanks.
Paula - Are you serious? The Legacy Farms project certainly has not been started.