UPDATED: Marshall Street Condo Plan For the Birds

It was in the early 1990’s that the town of Holliston
spent several hundred thousand dollars to extend town water to residents of Marshall Street living in the vicinity of the Bird Property, an EPA Superfund site. 

The intent of the town was clear.  Serious and legitimate concerns existed regarding the quality of groundwater in the area, and rather than wait for Nyanza type negative consequences, the town decided to act.

This past week, the State Housing Appeals Committee acted,
granting permission for the construction of 200 condominiums on the site of the Bird Property, despite town health concerns.

Fifty of the planned condos are to be designated “affordable” providing the project with 40B status and the ability to bypass specific town zoning regulations. 

The decision, barring future appeals, signals a triumph for developer J. Michael Norton in his long fight to develop the property, on which over $1 million has been spent in the yet unfinished cleanup.  Who are the losers?  Look in the mirror.

Want some background on the property?

MEET THOMAS HOLLIS

I am not a clairvoyant.  I cannot see the future or communicate with the dead.  The only voice that rings in my subconscious is that of the lovely Suzanne, usually directing me to do something.  But as the town prepares to recognize another Celebrate Holliston, I believe I must tell the truth.  I have spoken to Thomas Hollis.

Just this week, in fact.  No not the man that town histories have incessantly described as “A benefactor of Harvard College,” but a man, who likely more than any other, can describe himself as Hollis’ descendent.

It was about a month ago when in a business context, I found myself talking to a Tom Hollis who lives outside New England.  When I mentioned to him that I lived in a town named for a Thomas Hollis, he indicated that he was very familiar with the man, and was a family descendant.  

He put me in contact with his sister, Virginia Hollis, who lives in New Hampshire and is the family historian.  She wrote:

Hi John, nice to meet you via email.

I have a book, the memoirs of Thomas Hollis Esq. published in London in 1780 (MDCCLXXX is written on the front page).  It’s large- 2 volumes, and I haven’t read it.  It’s obviously very fragile so I can’t tell you what’s in it.  We also have a book from 1884 that is Abijah Hollis’ memoirs from the Civil War.  My mother retyped that book and gave copies to my brother, sister, and me.  There is also a family genealogy, much of which is difficult to read, but it doesn’t go back beyond 1718. 

Thomas Hollis, Esq. funded the divinity chair at Harvard in 1721 and later funded a mathematics chair in 1726.  I do have a small piece written on him that appears to be from the Harvard University Bulletin of 1894/1895.  I can mail a copy to you if you want to sen me your address.  He was born in 1659 and died in either 1730 or 1731.  From the article in the Harvard Bulletin, it appears that Thomas did not have any children. His brother Nathaniel named his son Thomas and that Thomas was the heir to his uncle’s money and continued donations to Harvard.  There were Thomas Hollis descendants until mid-1800’s when Thomas Hollis died unmarried without children.  His brother Abijah then named his son Thomas
who was our great-grandfather.

A short time later, I received the copy of the Harvard Bulletin mentioned above, and from which the portrait accompanying this story was taken.  I will forward the Bulletin to the for their records.

I invited Tom to participate in this year’s Celebrate Holliston festivities but a family wedding prevented its occurrence.  Hopefully, next year he and his sister Virginia can join us, and experience a great New England greeting from a town that took its name from their ancestor.

BENEVOLENT DICTATOR PREPARES TO TAKE REINS 

 knew it would work.

What I’m referring to is my subtle ten month campaign to be named Holliston’s benevolent dictator.  Oh sure, I know a Sept.5 Patch story was the first public posting of such, but my effort to win support for this measure has been long ongoing.

In my quest to become Benevolent Dictator, I have adhered to a seldom used political maxim that I’ll refer to as the “Paul is Dead” principal.  You may be familiar with it.

In 1969, it was widely rumored that Paul McCartney of The Beatles was dead, and in fact had died in a 1966 car crash.  The basis for the rumor were numerous “clues” found on Beatle album sleeves and in their music.  “He blew his mind out in a car,” from A Day in the Life, “I buried Paul”, at the end of Strawberry Fields Forever, and “Turn me on dead man”, from Revolution Number Nine (when played backwards of course), all supposedly indicated that the group’s bass playing cherub had departed, which of course he hadn’t.

Since the Holliston Patch debuted last November, through numerous highly complementary stories, it has been my deliberate intention to subversively drop clues while gathering a team of supporters who will be instrumental in my quest to become Benevolent Dictator, and equally important in preserving my position once obtained.

I knew I had captured my first big fish when the Patch’s comments bobber bounced on the day my intentions were first announced.  “Sir John-Our new Benevolent Dictator- I take it that the photo in your article was taken from the Pleasure Point side of Lake Winthrop.  I say this as the five gentlemen appear belly button deep in water only a few feet from shore.  Stoddard Park is shallow.  Also- will you be using the town’s health benefits plan?  Since the newly proposed solar panels on town buildings won’t likely cover the cost for this benefit, I propose that you set up a solar plant in the old Good will Shoe factory in Mudville.  Maybe the Gov. has a few extra $ left over that Evergreen Solar didn’t expend.  The panels could be installed on the Rail Trail.  Energy independence, and a healthy town dictator, now that’s being progressive.”  Bobby Blair.

“Oh, my God,” I thought.  Here was someone who had really drunk the Kool-Aid.  I had written about Bobby (),  and his support would be crucial for my campaign.  My intention was to name Bobby the ward boss for Mudville, with Kerry Kampersal() ruling Braggville, and Matt Dellicker () the Boss of East Holliston.

I knew I would need the support of our safety personnel, thus I have diligently reported on the Police () and Fire Departments (), as well as those currently serving us politically (too many to mention) to help in my transition.

Through Bobby’s family, I am connected to Holliston’s traditional Irish base.  Stories involving Kampersal’s, Kurzontkowski’s, Damigella’s, Rossini’s, Dellicker’s, and others have placed me in good stead with families whose support I must maintain.

As Benevolent Dictator, I will be aware of all issues deserving my attention, and “I will not rest” until they are adequately resolved.  My first order of business will be to address some pressing town concerns, while working to improve our town’s self-sustainability.

Two areas of current town conflict involve , as well as plans to develop a , a former EPA Superfund site on Marshall Street. 

As Benevolent Dictator, I will halt both projects.  Instead, we will move the Solar Farm to Marshall Street, and under the direction of Bobby Blair, my Secretary of Agriculture nominee, the Bullard Farm will once again operate to feed our people.

I’m not prepared to discuss the merits of 40B, but with Cutler Heights barely half full, and our streets lined with for sale signs, the need for 200 more housing units seems unnecessary.  But the state appears really gung-ho to build on the Bird site, some indicating their primary concern being to recoup the money already spent in its cleanup.  If that is indeed the case, I recommend that with solar panels above the ground,and water of a quality the state obviously deems acceptable below, that this water be sold to Milford for the casino should it be built, and the state paid off.  Everybody wins!

I have not as yet completed the naming of my cabinet, but
along with Bobby I will nominate Mark Heavner (December 30, ) my Director of Homeland Security and Bill Tobin (March 21, ) my Minister of Propaganda.  The lovely Suzanne (July 5, Who Am I #25) will operate, naturally, as my Chief of Staff.

I will heed the recommendation of Bobby, and will work to gain a state grant to build solar panels in Mudville at the old Goodwill Shoe factory.  They will be used at the Marshall Street solar farm and on town buildings to bring clean energy to all of Holliston.  And don’t worry about us leaving; we’ll have lunch brought in every Friday from Jing’s Garden.