Broadacres Farm Acquisition

Published October 29, 2018 | Town Manager | Updated February 12, 2020 | Automatically Archived on 11/13/2020

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Broadacres Farm at 82 MORSE ROAD is a former 34-acre horse farm and key opportunity for open space and recreation use adjacent to existing Town-owned properties. The Town of Sudbury purchased the property in 2019.

Design Charrette Findings & Report

A Design Charrette Town Forum focused on Broadacres Farm was held on Thursday, November 21, 2019 from 6:30pm – 9:00pm at Town Hall (322 Concord Rd). The Forum was held in a Design Charrette format in order to gather community ideas and advance planning for the newly acquired property.

The Planning Department conducted the charrette along with consultant Wright Ostermier Landscape Architects (WOLA). A Broadacres Farm Design Charrette Report which summarizes the process, findings and recommendations for the property, was developed based on feedback from the charrette. Click below to view the report.

The report and its findings were presented at the Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Board of Selectmen meeting at 7 PM in Town Hall (322 Concord Rd). Click below to view the presentation.

Presentation of Broadacres Charrette Findings

Public Access

The Town closed on the purchase of the Broadacres Farm property on July 11, 2019, and the public is welcome to enjoy the property with certain restrictions.

Restrictions: No access is permitted in and around the buildings on the property.

Parking: Parking shall be restricted to the gravel area near the sheds across Morse Road from the house.

Flashvote

A FlashVote survey was conducted in November 2019 to gather input on how residents would like to see the Broadacres property used in the future. click below to see the results of the survey.

SURVEY RESULTS

What is this Property?

Broadacres Farm is a former 34-acre horse farm with stables, pasture, indoor arena, and riding fields located on both sides of scenic Morse Road.

The property is comprised of three parcels designated for the following uses:

PARCEL 1

Open Space
Recreation (Active & Passive)

PARCEL 2

Open Space
Recreation (Active & Passive)
General Municipal Uses

PARCEL 3

Open Space
Conservation
Agriculture
Recreational (Passive)

Information on the property and its priority status for open space and recreation are found in the presentation made by the Town Manager at the October 15^th Special Town Meeting.

On October 15, 2018, Special Town Meeting voted IN FAVOR of the acquisition.

On November 6, 2018, Acquisition of Broadacres was Ballot Question 5 of the November 2018 State Election. It PASSED by a vote of 6014 Yes to 3069 No at the election.

On July 11, 2019, the Town of Sudbury closed on the purchase of the property.

The property has abundant natural and cultural resources, is connected to other Town-owned properties, and offers potential for recreational use. It is a priority for protection identified in the 2009-2015 Open Space and Recreation Plan and the Heritage Landscape Inventory of 2006.

Broadacres Farm abuts the following properties of interest:

Wake Robin Woods Conservation Land, which currently has no public access;
Featherland Park, a key recreational area in town; and
The proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (owned by the MassDOT Rail Division).

How did we Purchase it?

The Town reached an agreement with the property owner. Per the agreement, Sudbury voters authorize the purchase of Broadacres through both a Town Meeting and Election vote.

On October 15, 2018, Town Meeting voted in favor of the acquisition.

On November 6, 2018, State Election QUESTION 5 is 82 MORSE ROAD: Broadacres Farm.

A “yes” vote on this question authorized the Town to increase taxes at a future date for a period of time in order to pay for the acquisition.

What was the cost?

The Town has agreed to purchase the three parcels on 82 Morse Road for a total of $5.5 million dollars.

The purchase will occur in phases, rather than all at once.

The Community Preservation Committee and the Special Town Meeting voted to fund Phase 1 of the purchase, committing nearly $2 million in CPA funds, thus reducing the amount to be borrowed in the future to approximately $3.5 million. The rest of the funding to be borrowed will be secured with the ballot question #5 on November 6^th.

The estimated impact of increasing future fiscal year’s taxes to pay for the estimated debt issuance of $3,660,000 is estimated at $53 for year 1 and decreasing annually to approximately $30 in year 20 for the “average” home value of $726,960. The taxes will not be initiated until the later phases of the project acquisition transpire (within 10 years). Project funding and acquisition will only advance if the ballot question passes at the November 6^th election.

Learn More

Click below to view the listed document.

Purchase & Sale Agreement for Broadacres Farm – October 15, 2018

November 6 State Election – Broadacres Info Flier

November 6 State Election – Information for Voters

Town of Sudbury Reaches Agreement of Broadacres Farm

October 15 Special Town Meeting – Broadacres Info Flier

Broadacres Property Appraisal

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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.