The Board of Selectmen have a 300 year old problem, and this may be the year they finally solve it.
The issue is how to best use the land bestowed on the town by Governor Stoughton to benefit the poor. The Selectmen are the trustees of the property and tasked with determining how this is accomplished. What was a straightforward bequest in 1701 has developed into a complex, difficult, and controversial issue. A lot has changed in the intervening years, but every rope has its end, and next week the selectmen are expected to pursue issuing an RFP to solicit proposals for use of the land that will satisfy the intent of Governor Stoughton’s will. You can find a draft of the RFP here.
The 34 acre lot sits between Governor Stoughton Lane, Canton Avenue, and Unquity Road. There are several buildings on the property including the Milton Animal League shelter. The shelter, like most the buildings, is in disrepair, and there is an effort underway to raise funds for a new shelter to be built at the DPW yard. (ed note: the League provides a vital resourc,e and their need is real. You can learn more here.) It was originally a wood lot that served as a source of fuel when the Governor owned it. It is believed that in the 1800’s, it was farmed and the buildings provided housing to the poor. Over time the fields became fallow and the buildings housed a few elderly indigent people. The situation today is that there are a few tenants, and the rent received goes to the Milton Residents Fund which is used to provide financial assistance to people in need.
What to do with the property is difficult, complex and controversial for a number of reasons. The composition, nature, and density of the town, “the poor,” and social policies have all changed over the years. What was a rural community is now a bedroom community with a strong rural character. What was farmland is now largely residential and the land now referred to as “the poor farm” abuts Indian Cliffs, a neighborhood of large homes. Despite the fall in housing prices and real estate issues, Milton remains a community that is largely beyond the reach of middle income families.
Why controversial? It’s land use, and whenever land comes into play there are vested parties with strong points of view that want their interests protected. The “Friends of Town Farm,” a group of Indian Cliffs residents, seeks to keep the property in its current undeveloped state. They have worked with a number of historical organizations that have identified the property as being of unique historical significance as one of the few examples of a poor farm still undeveloped. There has also been interest in using the property to provide affordable housing for middle income families. Tom Callahan, a Milton resident and director of the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance, has advocated for this arguing that development could assist families who work in the town (e.g. teachers, policemen, etc.). The recommendation has been for a modest number of units, and it could potentially address Milton’s 40B issue. There has also been a proposal by local resident Paul Krasinski to return the land to farming, using it as the focal point for an educational initiative focused on mathematics and science.
However, none of these proposals specifically address the primary intent expressed by Governor Stoughton. While all the proposals have merit, none of the proponents of historic preservation, affordable housing, or education have identified how those will provide significant financial contributions to the Milton Residents Fund.
The Board of Selectmen appointed a committee to evaluate the property and make recommendations on how it might be used, The Governor Stoughton Land Trust Committee. The committee was chaired by Bob Sweeney, a resident of Indian Cliffs, who is now a member of the Board of Selectmen. The committee held hearings, gathered information, and made a report to the selectmen. You can find the full report, meeting minutes, and other material here.
Reconciling the will’s intent with the agendas of the constituent parties has been and will be challenging. In the end the property may be sold. As the committee notes in their conclusion:
Developing the Property with residential housing at densities sufficient to raise the Endowment Principal is the only of the three options that actually uses the value of the land itself to generate the funds needed – and this was Governor Stoughton’s unambiguous intent.
The Selectmen will be discussing the issue at the their meeting on January 6th. As trustees of the will, whatever decision is finally made will be reviewed by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office to determine that the intent of the will has been satisified.