For the third year in a row, Walpole voters will be asked to vote on an override ballot question at the June town election that officials say will provide a location for town facilities.  Residents will be asked to vote on a $4.7 million Proposition 2.5 tax override to fund the purchase of 14 acres of East Street land currently owned by Walpole Woodworkers.
With the town running out of space for their growing facilities needs, Selectmen say the property’s convenient location near Walpole Center would be a perfect location for a new public safety complex or similar structure, or could be sold at a later date for future profit.  In addition, town officials hope to block developers from purchasing the land and taking advantage of the state’s controversial 40B law to build affordable housing on the property that would result in a net negative impact on the town’s tax base.
Selectmen face an uphill battle to get the initiative passed by voters, as overrides in Walpole have experienced heavy voter resistance throughout the past few years.  Of the past four override initiatives, only one – for a new library – has been approved by voters, and it passed by less than 10 votes.  Two different overrides for a new police station on Robbins Road have each failed in two different elections during the last 4 years.
But Selectmen hope this year the results will be different, and they have been taking their case directly to citizens in the form of regular public forums.  The Board has dedicated the first thirty minutes of each of their meetings during the months leading up to the election to a forum to hear resident concerns and questions about the land purchase.  Reaction has been mixed so far, but the town’s Finance Committee and Master Plan Implementation Committee have both given the plan their unanimous approval.
The initiative also passed a significant hurdle when it was approved by Town Meeting on May 4 by a significant margin.  The proposal’s lead advocate, Selectman Eric Kraus, gave a presentation with Town Administrator Michael Boynton to Town Meeting Representatives, offering their reasons for the override.  Besides providing an opportunity for more town buildings, Kraus emphasized the town’s efforts to repel 40B developers from taking the property.  “We do not want multi-use housing on this site this close to downtown,” Kraus told RTMs.   In addition, according to Kraus, the acquisition of the property is a necessary component in the town’s overall strategy for “downtown enhancement and downtown revitalization.”
Many RTMs spoke in favor of the plan, noting that it represents sensible planning for the town’s ongoing municipal buildings.  Precinct 1 Town Meeting Representative John Hasenjaeger praised the project, calling it a forward-thinking proposal.  “I think it shows a futuristic philosophy in town management,” Hasenjaeger said.
Some RTMs, however, echoed the concerns that many in town still have about the purchase.  Precinct 5 RTM Deborah Burke, who later voted against the plan, expressed questions about possible contamination of the site, noting that Woodworkers has been in town for over eight decades, long before anti-contamination regulations were enacted.  As part of the override purchase price, the town will be purchasing $50,000 in environmental insurance that would cover the town for several millions of dollars in the event that the land is indeed found to be contaminated after the town has acquired it.  But Kraus pointed out that the town will not purchase the land, even if voters approve it, until they have done an extensive review of the property beforehand and the insurance policy is in hand.  “If the town can’t get the environmental insurance, the town won’t move forward,” Kraus said.
Other residents are concerned with the lack of any clear plan for the use of the property once purchased.  While town officials have publicly hinted that a public safety complex might be a reasonable choice for the site, other ideas that have been suggested include a new school, athletic fields, or a senior center.  In addition to the environmental insurance, the override package includes $180,000 for a study to determine how the site can best be utilized.  But some residents said the plan is too vague.  Washington Street resident Robert O’Leary told Selectmen at a recent public forum that the plan was too open-ended.  “How does the voter value that piece of property, how do they vote yes or no, without having an idea of what’s going to be put on it?,” he asked officials.  Selectmen have maintained they prefer to have the land purchased before the make decisions regarding its utilization.
Walpole Woodworkers would maintain their showroom on the frontage on East Street, which town officials argue will allow Woodworkers to maintain a presence in Walpole without completely moving their operations elsewhere.  The town will lose about $20,000 in tax revenue once the land is sold to the town, but Woodworkers will still pay about $8,000 in taxes every year for their showroom.  The town land would be accessed by two different points next to the showroom on East Street, and town officials say there is potential for future access from Kendall Street, near the rear of the property.
Just a few weeks away from the town election, town officials are optimistic that the override will pass.  The land purchase will allow the town to “control our own destiny,” Kraus told Town Meeting.  On June 4, voters will have a say in that destiny.