by Frank Schroth

The Milton Animal League (MAL) held the second of their neighborhood meetings to discuss the proposal of building a new shelter on town owned property off of Randolph Avenue via access road to old town dump. It was sparsely attended. Four residents did take advantage of the opportunity to voice their concern with the shelter’s location and design as well as question the financing.

The session began with brief overviews from Linda Palmer, President of the MAL and Steve Jensen, the architect for the project. Ms. Palmer went through a quick history of the shelter. It as formed in 1978 and the temporary shelter was constructed in 1979. That structure is still the one in place today and all agree in is in very poor condition. The MAL is a 501C3 corporation staffed and run by ~35 volunteers. There are no salaried positions. Since starting up they have cared for over 750 dogs and countless cats. In addition to caring for unwanted animals they take in strays and work with the town’s emergency services.

The MAL has been working over the past several years to raise money for a new shelter. To date they have ~$500,000. Their current facility is located on the Governor Stoughton property also known as the town farm. That property was left in trust to benefit the poor of Milton. It is ~34 acres, 30 of which the Governor StoughtonTrustees ( the Board of Selectmen) have signed a P&S for with Pulte homes. The proceeds ($5 million) , if the sale is approved by the Attorney General and probate court, will be deposited in an account dedicated to providing assistance for those in need. The remaining 4 acres are still held in trust. Selectmen Hurley at last week’s meeting said the Attorney General’s office was clear that the presence of the shelter “was in violation of the trust” as it “did not benefit the poor of Milton.” According to Hurley the shelter cannot stay there unless they pay fair market value for the property. It’s likely a little more complicated in that the property would need to go out to bid and the shelter would need to be the high bidder to obtain any land.

Steve Jensen reviewed the design. The structure will be a clapboard design of 6000 sq ft with two fenced exercise yards each approximately 28×35 feet. There will be separate sections for dogs and cats. A specialized HVAC system will be installed and housed in the upper part of the building and invisible from the outside. It will regulate fresh air and odor. The structure will also be noise proofed. It will accommodate 10 dogs and 18 cats. When dogs are outside they will be on leads and with volunteers. The fencing will be of a design to minimize distractions to dogs (e.g squirrels, etc) that prompt them to become excitable and bark. The building will also house the town’s animal control facility.

An FAQ fact sheet stated that the building will be gifted to the town after it is built and that a local landscaper has countered to handle landscape maintenance.

Frank O’Neill, who said he has experience with real estate development, was among those who aggressively questioned the project. Specifically he had questions about the location, the building, and the budgets. He said he did not understand why it could not remain on the Gov Stoughton land. Hurley spoke to that (see above). After he spoke former Selectman Bob Sweeney, a resident of Indian Cliffs which abuts the Stoughton property, said that the shelter could stay there. He said that the shelter should pay market value but he did not say where the money would come from. Later in the discussion Mr. Hurley would say that “Bob is right. [There are] no other problems other than time and money.”

Asked for a figure on cost, Mr. Jensen estimated the construction cost to be a little north of $2 million. Mr. O’Neill repeatedly characterized the proposed structure and cost as the “Taj Mahal.”

Mr. Sweeney also spoke of the $1 million donated by the Copeland Foundation to support the new building. The donation when made stipulated that it be built on the Stoughton land. Ms. Palmer and Ms Bersani, Milton’s animal control officer, said they had been told by the Copeland Foundation that building on the Stoughton land was no longer a requirement and that they would make the contribution regardless. Sweeney asked if a vote had been taken or if there was a letter stating this. Palmer said she did not have a letter but had received verbal assurance.

Mr. O’Neill said he toured the facility and the “condition is deplorable [I’d] suggest that there has been deferred maintenance. Probably you have an agenda to make it look bad to get a new one. It is not fair for the employees and animals to be working and living under those conditions.” Mr. O’Neill in his comments also said that the facilities in Braintree and Quincy are smaller than the one proposed for Milton and that they were located on DPW yards. He said he did not like what he heard, that the current proposal fell out of the sky and suggested a committee be formed to develop a scope. He repeatedly said that a shelter on the land is not the “highest best use for the town.” He did not identify a best use but said that he did not believe a shelter would benefit the homes he proposes to put in, the nearby golf course, or the proposed assisted living facility that may go in nearby.

Mr. O’Neill was joined in his questioning by his brother James. James O’Neill wanted to know who made the decision to site the building on this parcel. Hurley along with others said it was a joint decision. The O’Neills own property that abuts the town land and Frank O’Neill said they would be developing it, putting in up to 8 houses. (View map of property here).

However, there may be more to the development Mr. O’Neill is considering. Mr. O’Neill is one of the signatories of a citizens petition article submitted for Annual Town Meeting that requests a change in zoning. The change if approved will allow for Attached Condominium Residence Development (ACRD).

Here is the statement of applicability;

The condominiums he seeks to build would require an easement from the town on same property as animal shelter. The article goes on to say that the 35,000 sq ft lot would have up to 4 buildings each with 2 units. Whether these 8 condos are the same as the 8 houses he referenced or are in addition to is not clear. The Planning Board will be a holding a public hearing on this and all other planning articles on February 13th. These articles will be in the warrant going before town meeting in May.

Mr. O’Neill urged that the town reconsider placing the shelter on the DPW yard. Officials said that was not an option as the location that had been considered was above a large drainage pipe. In the event that pipe ever needed repair the building would have to be torn down or moved.

Another resident, Frank Mulligan, who lives on Governor Stoughton Lane, asked what the cost was for an acre of Stoughton land. Initially, Mr Clark supplied a number of $600,000. Mr. Mulligan said that if one divided the Pulte price ($5 million) by the acreage sold (30 acres) the price per acre was $166,000. Clark said the 30 acres were not all build able. Resident Joseph Murphy of Fox Hill Lane, also in the Indian Cliffs neighborhood, said a home was recently purhcased for $760K and torn down.

The Board of Selectmen all of whom were present did not speak much. However, Mr. Hurley and Ms. Conlon did respond to Mr. O’Neill’s criticism that the process was not being handled or communicated well. Mr. Hurley said no decisions had been made and that the entire point of this session (and the previous one and one to be held in the future) was to collect and respond to community input. Ms. Conlon noted that she did not join the board until last May and that no meetings had taken place regarding the issue and that “I have no preconceived ideas.” Hurley added, “We are required to control animals within the town of Milton and that has to be someplace. I don’t know if it has to be here; but it has to be someplace.”

The meeting adjourned. Another meeting will be scheduled at a date to be determined.