City Council Challenges Mayor's Jurisdiction Over Nobscot Chapel

FRAMINGHAM, MA- The City Council is challenging the mayor's jurisdiction over the sale of the Nobscot Chapel at 780 Water St.

At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, an 8-0-1 vote passed to request an advisory opinion from the state inspector general to figure out whether decision-making authority over the sale of the chapel falls with the mayor or the city council.

The councilors took a hard look at a 2013 Town Meeting vote that allowed the Board of Selectmen at the time, to dispose of the building. According to the city's lawyer, who serves the mayor as well, that deciding power was transferred to the mayor under the new city charter. The City Council was not completely convinced, noting that as a new city, the interpretation of the charter can be hazy and clarification was important.

All city councilors supported the vote except for District 2 Councilor Pam Richardson, who abstained and voiced concern about the City Council doubting the legal process. "I have no concern that that process was held in any other way than the correct way that was legally required," she said.

The discussion followed a question and answer reading by the mayor, who was invited to the meeting to address questions about the Nobscot Chapel sale. Mayor Spicer read a prepared statement that addressed the bidding process and said it was lawful and the sale of the chapel would save it from demolition and help the city begin the redesign of the intersection of Water Street, Edmonds and Edgell Road.

The mayor did not remain for additional questions from the City Council. Many councilors argued that selling the chapel to Andy Rose, owner of Centercorp Retail Properties and the Nobscot Plaza, was giving away their only leverage in negotiations over the Nobscot Plaza. "If we give away our only chip in the game, I just fear that it's not gonna bode well for Nobscot," Councilor at Large George King said.

Rose offered Framingham $50,000 for the chapel with a plan to refurbish it into a food establishment and agreed to move it further south on Edgell Road. Rose has a redevelopment plan in place for the whole block which replaces the chapel space with a CVS. City officials agreed to sell the chapel to Rose in February after receiving only two bids- the second coming from local builder Rick McKenna, who proposed turning the chapel into an eatery and marketplace for locals to gather. McKenna's bid was $40,001.

As the owner of the vacant Nobscot Plaza, Rose has proposed tearing down the plaza and putting a four-story apartment building in its place, which would call for rezoning since the area currently only allows for three story structures. He has also proposed adding a three-story building on Water Street with shops on the ground floor and 49 apartments over it- nothing has been done to the plaza so far.

If and when the chapel is moved or demolished, the city will begin a redesign of the intersection of Water Street, Edmonds and Edgell Road. The redesign would widen sidewalks, add street light s and turning lanes to the intersection, among other things. Because of the expansion of the roads and sidewalks, the mayor said the chapel must be moved or removed.

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