Bill Paves Way for Town to Control Berry Property

Legislation turning over control of the former J.T. Berry property to the town of North Reading was enacted in both the state House and Senate today.

The home rule petition, filed on the town’s behalf by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), authorizes the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to convey approximately 36.7 acres of land located at 102 Lowell Road and 104 Lowell Road to the town.

The two parcels were once part of the John T. Berry Rehabilitation Center, a Department of Mental Health facility that closed in 1995.

“The proposed land transfer is a great opportunity for North Reading to pro-actively determine the best future use for the property and to reap the benefits of the new tax revenues the redeveloped site will generate,” said Jones. “Returning this underutilized property to a productive use will enable North Reading to free up more money in its budget to help fund many important municipal services for the town’s residents.”

Tarr said the passage of the bill creates a prime opportunity for the town to transform the J.T. Berry site into a productive resource for the community.

“The bill represents a true partnership between state and local government that holds tremendous potential for mutual benefits for both,” Tarr said.

The former J.T. Berry property once housed the Martin’s Brook Sanatorium, which opened in 1909 to treat patients for tuberculosis. DMH subsequently operated a rehabilitation center for the developmentally disabled on the site from 1962 until its closing in 1995.

The Gutierrez Company later purchased the vacant site to construct the Edgewood Luxury Apartments, but chose not to renew its agreement on the remaining undeveloped land back in 2012.

Under the terms outlined in the home rule petition, North Reading will compensate the state for a portion of the “sunk costs” associated with the property, including work done to improve and maintain the site following the rehabilitation center’s closing.

The town has the option of making a lump sum payment to the state or making annual payments spread out over a 10-year period.

The bill also allows North Reading to sell or lease any or all of the land transferred to it by DCAMM, but requires the town to share a percentage of the net proceeds – between 30 and 50 percent – with the state once the sale or lease is completed.

If the town does not complete the purchase of the land by December 1, 2015, then DCAMM has the option of selling or leasing the land to another party through the state’s competitive bidding process.

The bill now heads to Governor Charlie Baker, who has until August 6 to review and sign it.