Last chance to buy Kunelius

By Matt Gunderson / Staff Writer
Thursday, November 21, 2002

STOW - Selectmen will meet next Tuesday to decide whether the Kunelius property on Red Acre Road becomes occupied with 30 new homes or stays a vacant 50 acres of marshland. Several neighbors to the property plan to attend the meeting to urge the town to buy the land and protect it as an open vista.

Peter Christianson of Red Acre Road said he and a group of residents have been touring their street and drumming up support for their cause to keep the land open. So far, most residents along the street don't want to see selectmen pass on their right of first refusal on the property and watch another 30 houses crop up in the area, he said.

The Washington based CoHousing Resources LLC is pulling the property out of Chapter 61, a law granting towns the option to buy a property if a developer chooses to develop land protected under the law.

"It seemed the overwhelming majority didn't want to see this project go forward and wanted to see an alternative," Christianson said.

Christianson said the group is currently compiling information for the meeting which will show the cost of buying the property is less than the cost of allowing it be developed. Developments typically create the need for additional services in town, which, some argue, is a driving reason for towns to buy up open space.

"We urge Stow selectmen not to waive their right of first refusal to buy this land," he said. "Such a vote would not force the town to buy the land, but it would simply permit it to come to a vote at the next Town Meeting."

The hopes of Red Acre Road residents to preserve the property could be dashed on Tuesday night, however.

All the selectmen may not agree, but Selectman Greg Jones believes paying $1.2 million for the property won't be worth it. CoHousing Resources has agreed to donate 42 acres of the land to the town, which would serve town officials' interests in the land as a municipal water source, he said.

"It seems to me we really wouldn't want to acquire eight acres of land for the tune of $1.2 million," he said.

But Jones said the board has allowed the residents along the road time to come up with alternative solution.

"If they can come up with a scheme for a million dollars, more power to them," he said. "But I don't think there's much of an advantage for the town to exercise Chapter 61."

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