Legacy Farms developer pitches new plan

HOPKINTON — As construction of Legacy Farms Road North starts, the developer is looking to change an approved commercial section on the north side of the development to residential units.

Excavators and bulldozers can now be seen off Wilson Street clearing trees and stumps for the road. 

The road will connect Rte. 135 to Rte. 85 and is expected to ease traffic downtown and spur the second phase of the Legacy Farms, a massive mixed-use commercial and residential project on land off Rte. 135 once owned by Weston Nurseries. Legacy Farms developer Roy MacDowell and the town received a $5 million MassWorks state grant in October to build the road. 

MacDowell says the 200,000-square-foot area set aside for commercial space on a parcel off Wilson Street is no longer viable.

At Town Meeting next month, he will ask residents to change a zoning bylaw to replace the commercial space with 180 units of over-55 housing. A similar plan with 200 units was defeated at last year's Town Meeting. Some of the commercial uses could have been offices, light manufacturing or conference center, but no plans were finalized. 

Town Meeting starts May 5.

If approved, the change would increase the total number of housing units to 1,120. The age-restricted units will not allow children to live in the properties. 

MacDowell said there are many benefits to the plan, including more tax revenue, fewer school-aged children and less traffic. Ninety percent of the project will remain the same, according to information provided by Legacy Farms. 

The new units will bring in $1.5 million in annual tax property taxes as opposed to $160,000 from the commercial development — nearly 10 times the original amount, MacDowell said. He said the numbers came from Judi Barrett, a town consultant who works for RKG Associates. 

"These aren't figures we made up," MacDowell said. 

MacDowell said he will also donate $1.8 million to the town as part of the joint application for the MassWorks grant — $750,000 for town-wide trails, $750,000 for underground utilities downtown and $360,000 for public safety agencies and infrastructure. The deal is spelled out in an amendment to a host community agreement with the town. 

"When you do the math, you are getting $1.8 million in cash for the benefit of the town," MacDowell said. "You are getting $1.5 million every year for benefits in property taxes, which extrapolates into $15 million over 10 years." 

The north side of the development will not have any single-family homes with MacDowell reducing the allowed single-family homes from 50 to 15.

"By doing that you are actually reducing the number of school-aged children by about 40," he said. "That saves the town about $400,000 a year." 

He said the plans reduce the amount of traffic from 3,070 cars a day to 810, with a 83 percent less during peak traffic in the morning and 82 percent in the evening. 

The plans still includes 500-acres of open space. 

"I think last year we probably should have done a better job of articulating our position," he said. 

The "active adult community" will allow people to enjoy retirement living and still have jobs and be involved in town, according to a brochure for the change.

About 35,000 square feet is still planned for East Main Street and MacDowell is working with Weston Nurseries for a retail center, known as Village Center. "Right now, it is premature," MacDowell said.

He said the plan is being supported by the selectmen, Planning Board, Zoning Advisory Committee and the Upper Charles Trail Committee. 

The north road is expected to be complete in December and the north project is expected to start next spring, MacDowell said.  

Jonathan Phelps can be reached at 508-626-4338 or jphelps@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JPhelps_MW.