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Friend, Foe, or Ally of Convenience?

by Dave Atkins

An article today in the Canton Citizen paints a very different perspective on Canton's dismissed lawsuit and end of parliamentary maneuvers over the Wegmans bill, with the Selectmen boldly claiming they are winning in their battle against Westwood Station. It appears what has really happened is that Canton hopes to share in the $50 million of I-Cubed money that CC&H will apply for. But the I-Cubed money opens a can of worms in that it exposes towns to the potential to have to reimburse the state if the development project fails to provide the tax revenues predicted.

Is the I-Cubed idea just political cover for Canton's Representatives to untangle themselves from the mess they created in the legislature--a drama that involved outbursts of profanity and rudeness that went unchecked in the House, but was quickly squashed in the Senate? Or is there a creative solution here that could give Canton a stake in this project--albeit at the risk of having to quickly change gears from opposing Westwood Station to helping make it work so the Town of Canton does not have to repay their share of the infrastructure money to the state? Yes, that's right, if the development project fails to generate the advertised tax revenues (that would be used to service the loan from the state for the infrastructure) then the community where the project is located is left holding the bag.

"Where the project is located" is a key phrase there...and I am not certain if it means the development project or the infrastructure project, but I'm thinking the latter. As crazy as the idea of Canton suddenly becoming a proponent of Westwood Station sounds, it is more likely than Westwood Selectmen agreeing to effectively guarantee a loan to build a potential bridge to nowhere in Canton.

Submitted by Dave Atkins on December 24, 2008 - 12:48am
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INFRASTRUCTURE AID FOR CANTON DISCUSSED BY LAWMAKERS, PATRICK AI

Submitted by SHNS on December 24, 2008 - 9:31am.

INFRASTRUCTURE AID FOR CANTON DISCUSSED BY LAWMAKERS, PATRICK AIDES

By Kyle Cheney
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, DEC. 22, 2008.....The Patrick administration may extend an "immediate" lifeline to the town of Canton, which after recent setbacks in court and the Legislature, contends it has won crucial support for road repairs at the center of a seemingly endless dispute with the developer of Westwood Station.

Sen. Brian Joyce (D-Milton) on Friday opened a window into the Patrick administration's involvement in the mostly local dispute over the project, a 4.5 million square-foot mega-development that will feature stores like Wegmans and Target. Backers say the mixed-use behemoth will bring thousands of permanent and construction jobs to the region and critics say it will overwhelm the local infrastructure.

In a letter sent to the board of selectmen in Canton, a town Joyce represents, the senator said senior administration officials were contemplating "immediate funding support" for the widening of two Dedham Street bridges - one over the Neponset River, the other over MBTA tracks.

Funding for the bridges would assuage Canton's key demands for lifting its opposition to Westwood Station. In his letter, Joyce contends that the administration agreed state funding would be contingent upon the project's developer addressing "the legitimate concerns of the town of Canton."

Officials from Canton, which borders Westwood, have pressed for months for funding for the bridge improvements.

The Patrick administration acknowledged meeting with Joyce and Canton Rep. William Galvin, but denies reaching any agreements.

"Senator Joyce and Representative Galvin spoke with administration officials about their desire for additional infrastructure funding for Canton in relation to the Westwood Station development," said Patrick spokesman Kyle Sullivan. "While no commitments were made, the administration will continue to work with all impacted communities as this project progresses."

Joyce warned that the funding would also hinge on Westwood Station moving forward, no sure thing in today's credit environment. Westwood Station developer Cabot, Cabot & Forbes has maintained that the project is solvent and is moving along briskly. Joyce notes in his letter that CC&F is seeking a $50 million credit line under a special law aimed at propping up large-scale developments.

"It is far from certain that the developer has the financial wherewithal to develop this project as proposed," Joyce wrote.

Gov. Deval Patrick has expressed support for the project, noting its potential for economic development.

In a phone interview, Doherty said Westwood Station was financially sound, particularly since its principal backer, the Commonfund Realty Inc., owns the land and "has no debt" associated with it.

"I don't see Senator Joyce being in a position to evaluate our finances," he said, adding, "I will clearly admit that in this world right now, everything is uncertain to some degree. We do hope that the world will get a little nicer in 2009."

Doherty said he has no objections to Canton seeking state assistance for road improvements but that Westwood Station has no further obligations to the town.

"If someone says to me 'Jay, we'd like you to pick up part of the cost of the Big Dig,' they can make the request," he said, but that doesn't mean he'll agree to it.

Canton also announced recently the appeal of a Superior Court decision tossing its lawsuit against the developer and MassHighway. In the suit, Canton argued that the state ignored crucial data when completing its environmental review of Westwood Station. Canton has spent upward of $750,000 on legal fees. Doherty announced last week that he would end all talks of a settlement with Canton, in light of the town's appeal.

Joyce's letter marks his first public description of his involvement in the long-running dispute. He has refused to take reporters' questions about his role in briefly blocking a key liquor license for Westwood Station - the license won passage last week - and until now would not say what his specific aims were.

Doherty said the finally-approved liquor license, for a Wegmans supermarket expected to anchor Westwood Station, jumpstarts the next phase of design of the supermarket's floor space. The bill, signed last week by Patrick, enables CC&F "to invest the funds needed in the design of the store," he said. Completing those designs will bring the developer closer to finalizing a lease with the well-known chain.

-END-
12/22/2008