Sudbury Plans To Buy Camp Sewataro Land For $11 Million

SUDBURY, MA — Sudbury could soon have a pretty new chunk of land to call its own. The Board of Selectmen announced on Thursday it had entered into letter of intent with the owners of Liberty Ledge LLC to purchase the Camp Sewataro land. The land in total is 44 acres and the town plans on paying $11,269,700 for it.

Camp Sewataro, has operated as a summer day camp in Sudbury for the past 60 years and the purchase of the land should not disrupt the day camp this summer. The town would use the land for open space, recreation, preservation and other municipal purposes. The purchase will require a 2/3rd vote to pass at Town Meeting, which starts on Monday, May 6, and a majority vote at a town election on June 4.

To pay for the land, the town planned debt payments for 20 years beginning at $1,014,273 and decreasing through the years with the final payment being $586,024. The average single-family home valued at $745,653 would pay approximately $2,636 over the life of the bond. The annual tax payments would start at $168.14 and decrease yearly with a final payment of approximately $90, assuming that values held steady.

The Town agreed to restrict the property by not allowing the construction of cellular towers or field lighting over 20 feet in height.

“There are many opportunities presented by this acquisition,” said Melissa Rodrigues, Sudbury Town Manager. “The recreational possibilities for the town would be abundant and the property is unrivaled for its amenities and beauty. This could open many doors for our future and continue to make Sudbury a wonderful place to live, work and play.”

The future use of the Camp Sewataro property by the Town has not been determined, but the town said it is interested in the opportunities this land presents, including opportunities that provide offsetting revenue.