Selectmen Back Blue Hill Tech HS Renovation, Forbes Hill Purchase

NORWOOD, MA — The Norwood selectmen have endorsed the Blue Hills Regional Technical High School renovation and the purchase of the Forbes Hill property, but it wasn't unanimous.

The first of two Special Town Meeting warrants, the board voted 4-0-1 to support the renovation and 4-1 to buy the Forbes Hill property. In both cases, Selectman Helen Abdallah Donohue was the one board member to not vote in support of the warrant articles.

The Blue Hill Technical High School renovation calls for about $84.2 million in spending by the regional school district. The project may receive a reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building authority that could be as much as 55.89 percent of the project's costs.

If approved, Article 2 would allow the town to purchase 27 acres of land for an estimated $13 million. The town has yet to receive an official appraisal, with the last one coming in 2015. At the time, the land's value was $11.8 million.

Board members supporting the land buy said that by purchasing the property, the town can decide to keep it as open space or sell it to a developer on their terms.

"We’re not throwing $13 million out the window. We can control the property and determine what we want on the property. We can sell the property and get our money back," Selectman Paul Bishop said.

Donohue said she voted against the article because she felt the price was too high for the residents and the town to pay.

Currently, the Forbes Hill project calls for 260 apartment units. The unused land, about nine acres, will become town property and will remain undeveloped for 10 years. After that, the town will have the option to do something else with the property. That can all change if Special Town Meeting votes to buy the land.

Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 6 at Norwood High School.

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