Sudbury Enters into Agreement to Purchase Land at Camp Sewataro

Published April 18, 2019 | Town Manager | Updated April 22, 2019 | Automatically Archived on 7/3/2019

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This week, the Sudbury Board of Selectmen entered into a letter of intent with the owners of Liberty Ledge LLC. to purchase the land known as Camp Sewataro.

Camp Sewataro, which sits on 44 acres of land, has operated as a summer day camp in Sudbury for the past 60 years. The Town had responded to a competitive request for proposals from the owners of the land at the end of March to purchase the 33 lots located on the property. Camp Sewataro will continue to operate this summer.

The Town has offered to pay $11,269,700 for the property, which it would use as land for open space, recreation, preservation and other municipal purposes. The purchase will require a 2/3^rd vote to pass at Town Meeting, which starts on Monday, May 6, and a majority vote at a town election on June 4.

The purchase will be funded through debt and the debt payments will be spread over 20 years. The debt payments will begin at $1,014,273 and decrease through the years with the final payment being $586,024. The average single-family home valued at $745,653 would pay approximately $2,636 over the life of the bond. The annual tax payments would start at $168.14 and decrease yearly with a final payment of approximately $90, assuming that values held steady.

In the arrangement with the owners, the Town agreed to restrict the property by not allowing the construction of cellular towers or field lighting over 20 feet in height. The Town would receive as a donation from the owners the personal property of the camp, which is still being inventoried, as well as other camp assets, including the camp name and other intellectual property.

The future use of the Camp Sewataro property by the Town has not been determined, but the town is interested in the opportunities this land presents, including opportunities that provide offsetting revenue.

“There are many opportunities presented by this acquisition,” said Melissa Rodrigues, Sudbury Town Manager. “The recreational possibilities for the town would be abundant and the property is unrivaled for its amenities and beauty. This could open many doors for our future and continue to make Sudbury a wonderful place to live, work and play.”

More information on this acquisition will be made public in the weeks before Town Meeting. You can find more information here: https://sudbury.ma.us/sewataro

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Andrew J. Sheehan
Town Manager

The Select Board and Town Manager provide executive leadership for the Town of Sudbury. Together, they pursue collaborative process and ethical and professional procedures to insure that Town resources are directed to providing the best services possible to protect public safety, public assets and a special quality of life in Sudbury. This office supports the Board and the Town Manager as they work toward this mission.

Description of Services

The Town Manager is appointed by the Select Board and is responsible for the management of all Town departments. The Town Manager is the appointing and contracting authority for all departments except the schools and the health department, and is responsible for overseeing all budgetary, financial and personnel administration activities of the Town. This includes preparing the annual budget, appointing all staff and setting compensation, formulating and implementing personnel policies, and negotiating all contracts with the Town’s union employees. Administrative staff in the office serves as liaison between the public and the Select Board, handle all phone calls, visitors and correspondence directed to the office, and maintain all records of Select Board meetings. The office staff prepares the warrants for all annual and special Town Meetings, election notices for all elections, and coordinates the Town’s Annual Report. They maintain records of all committee and board appointments and resignations – as well as the Select Board’s section of the Town’s web site.

Staffing

Staff in the Select Board/Town Manager’s office includes Town Manager Andrew J. Sheehan, Senior Admin. Assistant to the Town Manager Patty Golden, Office Supervisor/Information Officer Leila Frank, and Office Clerk Carol Hobin.