Pass Over Article 4 on December 2nd

When Weston residents were confronted at the hastily called June 17th Special Town Meeting with a warrant article to amend the town’s zoning by-laws, the underlying motivation of the Board of Selectmen was obvious.  It was to clear the way for the sale of the Old Library to commercial real estate developer Urbanica Corporation for $10,000, so that Urbanica could convert that landmark building into three luxury condominium apartments.  And Urbanica would have received a grant to spend at long last about $750,000 of Community Preservation Act (CPA) money that had been funded by our real estate taxes and appropriated by town meeting vote in 2011 for emergency exterior repairs to the building.

That amendment failed the two-thirds vote for approval by a wide margin—104 votes short of what would have been needed to overcome the opposing votes.  But now an expanded version of the zoning by-law amendment is on the warrant as Article 4 for the December 2nd Special Town Meeting so that not only the residential use of the Old Library will be accommodated but also an unspecified mix of certain commercial and residential uses of the Josiah Smith Tavern might also be permitted.

The selectmen seem to believe their fellow residents have short memories.  The December 2nd warrant has only a generic explanation urging a vote in favor of the expanded zoning by-law amendment, with no mention that the Urbanica proposal is still on the table notwithstanding the selectmen’s dire prediction in June of its imminent demise.  There are no companion articles authorizing the sale of any of the town’s “surplus” properties or any grants of CPA funds.  It should also be noted that the zoning by-law amendments have been the meticulous and commendable work of the town’s Planning Board, which was obligated to draft them in response to the request of the selectmen.

Thankfully there are two citizens’ petitions on the December 2nd warrant that offer some clues about what is going on even though they are only advisory to the selectmen if they are approved or at least attract significant support at town meeting.  The first requests that the selectmen consider converting the Old Library to the Weston Center for the Arts & Culture.

The second requests that the selectmen do not extend their letter of intent naming Urbanica as the “preferred developer” of the Old Library and Tavern when it expires on December 11 so that alternative, more “town-friendly” proposals might be considered, possibly through a new Request for Proposals (RFP).

There is a clue about what the selectmen think about these citizens’ petitions by how they ordered those articles on the warrant, placing them after the vote on the zoning by-law amendment, which is a departure from past practice.  In fact, at their November 25 meeting, the selectmen indicated that they will speak in opposition to both advisory petitions! 

Well, so what about the reuse of the Old Library in particular as Weston’s heritage and cultural center?  There are numerous examples in nearby towns where surplus municipal buildings, including former schools and libraries, have been turned into lively civic and cultural centers housing art galleries, studios for local artists, theater workshops, dance studios and arts and crafts guilds.  To name a few, these include Maynard’s ArtSpace Museum, Lexington’s Munroe Center for the Arts, the Town of Harvard’s Center on the Common (housed in its “old library”) and Framingham’s Edgell History Museum.

Beyond town support in the form of nominal charges for rent, these nonprofit town-oriented centers are self-supporting through the below market rents they charge their tenants, their own fund raising and well attended exhibitions.  There is a dynamic quality to these centers, which have waiting lists of prospective tenants.  For Weston, such use would bring vibrancy back to the town center and would be accessible to all townspeople, young and old.

As town-owned properties, no RFP was needed in any of these other towns’ cases because the lease or license terms fit easily within the state’s definition of a short-term lease, namely up to 30 years.  All that is needed is the support of the selectmen.

Weston has an opportunity to consider similar alternatives for the Old Library and the Josiah Smith Tavern.  What is needed now is the time to consider these alternatives.  Weston residents can help provide that time by voting to defer action on Article 4 at the December 2 town meeting.  Doing so will not preclude the Planning Board from presenting this same amendment at a future town meeting. 

Then we need to urge the selectmen to take the lead in putting these landmark buildings to their highest and best use for sake of our town’s center.

Bill Sandalls, Wood Ridge Circle