Marist CFO: 'Give Walden a Full and Fair Opportunity'

Marist Fathers CFO John Harhager in a letter to the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Phil Ottaviani voiced his support for the proposed treatment center by Walden Behavioral Care of Waltham..

"We would encourage the Town and the neighborhood to give Walden a full and fair opportunity to explain their program," wrote Harhager in a letter posted  on a website about the project. "We hope that in doing so, the community will conclude that Walden’s proposed use is not only beneficial for society, but also for the Town, and that Walden’s proposed program would be harmonious with the neighborhood."

Father Harhager also states the property could not be sold as single-family homes, in his opinion.

"It is obvious to us that the property cannot be sold for single-family residential development at a price that will come anywhere close to meeting our financial needs," wrote Harhager.

"As you would appreciate, a primary objective in selling the Retreat Center must be the financial security of our order. The pension fund for our retired brothers is presently significantly underfunded, and we are relying on the net proceeds from the sale of the Retreat Center to close the funding gap. In order to ensure the long-term financial viability of the pension fund, we need to generate proceeds from the sale of the property commensurate with fair market value for its highest and best use," wrote Harhager.

"That being said, another significant objective in our marketing process has been to try to find a user of the properly that would fit with the wonderful neighborhood surrounding the Retreat Center. The Marists have lived and worked on these beautiful grounds in this beautiful Framingham neighborhood for nearly 80 years, and so a significant criterion in our marketing process to-date has been that the buyer should have a plan for the property that preserves, as best as possible, the many positive attributes of this land and this neighborhood generally," continued Harhager.

"During the marketing process that led to Walden’s selection, we were approached by prospective buyers who intended to dramatically alter the property’s physical appearance and the intensity of its use. We did not feel that these buyers – some of whom might be largely exempt from zoning control – were a good fit for the neighborhood," wrote Harhager.

Walden Behavioral Care, LLC, wants to to open an 80-bed treatment center and eventually move its corporate headquarters to the Framingham site.

Framingham Patch was the first media outlet to report the pending sale and proposed plans on Tuesday.

Waltham-based Walden Behavioral Care has signed a purchase-and-sale agreement to purchase the property from The Marist Fathers of Boston, pending approval of its plans. 

Walden filed a petition with the Framingham Zoning Board of Appeals for a special permit, as the property is zoned as R-3 single-family residential.

Residents have already raised several concerns. (Read the comments on our original report.)

Walden told Patch it wants to move its corporate headquarters, and much of its staff and treatment facilities, from its current location in Waltham to Framingham.

Walden said it expects 136 employees will work at the site and wants to create  internships for students at Framingham State University.

Walden wants to renovate the two existing buildings on the Marist property in 2015 and add new buildings in 2016.

The main building, currently known as Marist House, will be renovated to house 24 beds for patients with eating disorders and 24 beds for patients with mood disorders, as well as offices for 20 Walden staff. The adjacent building, Bishop’s Hall, will be renovated and converted to offices for 10 employees.

Phase I of new construction will include a 16-bed, 12,000-square-foot residential facility to treat adults who are obese and a 16-bed, 6,000-square-foot facility for adolescents.  Phase II will include construction of a 10,000-square-foot building for program offices, and intake and aftercare services.