This Week Deadline for Bids on Wellesley College Land; Students Start Petition

Friday is the last day for bidders interested in purchasing the 47 acres of land being sold by Wellesley College, reported the Boston Globe. Called the “North 40 property,” which is located off Weston Road, the college is selling the property to raise money to upgrade its campus.

The proposed sale has caused controversy, as some officials and residents fear what a developer could bring in to the neighborhood. Now mostly woods, concerns range from fears of a condo complex to additional traffic to the removal of open space in town.

Since parcels aren’t often available, Ben Hammond, Wellesley College’s VP for finance and administration, told the Globe that “Initial interest seems to be quite high.” No conservations groups have shown interest so far.

The North 40 Wellesley Project website links all updates on the proposed sale, most recently posting a petition created by a Wellesley College student called “Protect Wellesley’s North 40 from Development.”

A public forum with the North 40 Steering Committee is being held on Monday, Sept. 29.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, Town Planner Michael Zehner is the featured speaker at the Wellesley Rotary Club meeting, and specifically addresses the North 40 sale issue.

Are you concerned about the sale of the Wellesley College property? Do you think it should be sold, and if so, who would you like to see purchase it? Share in the comments section below.