Opinion: Town Meeting Vote On Sewataro Land

The following was submitted as a letter to the editor. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, email samantha.mercado@patch.com.

At the May Town Meeting, Sudbury voters will decide whether the town purchases the 44-acre Sewataro property. Per a written statement from Sewataro’s owners, a camp buyer is not next in line if the town’s purchase does not go through. Our choice is between the town preserving the land or a development with 31 homes.

I’m voting YES for Sewataro for the following reasons:

1. Sudbury doesn’t need yet another housing development. Meadow Walk’s 250 apartments with 402 bedrooms, 60 age-restricted townhomes/apartments with 113 bedrooms, and 48 assisted living units with 54 bedrooms are still under construction and are not fully occupied. Quarry North, with 274 units and 490 bedrooms hasn’t yet been built. We haven’t seen the full impact of these major developments and now we’re faced with the potential for another development of 31 homes, which would likely produce another 124 bedrooms—or more. Schools would definitely be impacted, but so would town services and capital needs. The school costs for a development of $1 million homes with 1.6 children per home (Sudbury’s average) would exceed revenue from property taxes. If the Quarry North projections are accurate, an elementary redistricting is likely. And then there’s the Route 20 fire station, voted down in 2017, which still needs updating, and the Route 117 fire station renovations would also need to be a priority if another development comes in. The impacts of another housing development in town would be too much, too soon.

2. There is potential for revenue. Unlike other land preservation acquisitions the Town has made, Sewataro offers the potential for revenue. The camp has been profitable for years, netting over $1 million in 2018, and there are many possibilities beyond that, including memberships (like Concord’s White Pond, Acton’s Nara Park, and Wayland’s Town Beach, which are utilized and enjoyed by residents of all ages) or property rental opportunities.

3. Sewataro could provide alternative solutions to the town’s other capital needs. SPS administration, Parks & Rec, and the Senior Center are currently housed together in the Fairbanks Community Center, which is in need of renovations. The currently proposed $30 million solution is likely slated for the October Town Meeting. The five houses (10,000 square feet) on Sewataro’s property offer an alternative to renovating Fairbanks to accommodate all three user groups. Reducing the scope of renovations to what could be $6 million and utilizing the Sewataro buildings would be much more palatable to voters. It’s also worth considering the recreational assets that Sewataro has (fields and courts) that the town wouldn’t need to renovate/repair elsewhere.

The Sewataro property is a Sudbury treasure. The idyllic, park-like setting offers ponds, swimming pools, a basketball court, tennis courts, fields, hiking trails, and more that could be used by all ages for decades and generations to come. Sewataro represents a unique combination of recreation and preservation, while also offering opportunities for revenue and providing potential solutions to some of the town’s needs. If taxes are going up either way, I’d much rather my taxes go towards supporting the preservation and potential for Sewataro than another costly housing development. Please join me in voting YES for Sewataro on May 6 & 7.

Sincerely,

Sarah Olson Liberman