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Select Board authorizes town manager to sign Primrose School memorandum of agreement, 3–2
Summary
The Select Board voted 3–2 to authorize the town manager to sign a memorandum of agreement with Primrose School for a proposed day‑care facility on Massachusetts Avenue; the vote followed discussion about historic preservation, provision of subsidized slots and site plan process.
The Acton Select Board voted 3–2 to authorize the town manager to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Primrose School for a proposed child care center on Massachusetts Avenue, after select board members debated historic preservation, community needs and programmatic concessions.
Select Board members discussed the viability of preserving the existing historic house on the site and whether a future site‑plan review could require preservation or adaptive reuse. Select Board member Fran said she opposed the MOA and urged the board to wait for a different developer who might preserve the building. “I feel like this Primrose Center is not the ideal project for the site,” Fran said.
The applicant revised the MOA earlier the day of the meeting to reinstate funding for subsidized child‑care slots that had been discussed in prior negotiations. Town staff said the change responded to a board request; the MOA includes a $20,000 up‑front payment to secure slots, with additional payment terms outlined in the draft agreement.
Select Board member Alicia moved to authorize the town manager to sign the MOA as updated that afternoon; a second was offered and the motion passed 3–2. Two board members voted “nay.” The manager will now finalize and sign the agreement on the town’s behalf.
What the MOA covers: The draft MOA outlines the applicant’s obligation to pay connection and mitigation fees, to provide a limited number of subsidized child‑care slots (specifics appear in the MOA) and to move forward with the project’s regulatory approvals, including site plan review and any required curb‑cut approvals from MassDOT. The MOA does not itself approve a building permit or site plan; the project must complete the town’s planning and permitting processes.
Board members and some members of the public noted concerns about community impacts. Public commenters urged the board to preserve the existing building and suggested more community outreach; others noted the town’s need for additional child care capacity. The vote authorizes the manager to sign the MOA but does not exempt the applicant from future land‑use review.
Next steps: The applicant will continue required permitting with the Planning and Building Departments and with MassDOT for access along Route 2A. The building commissioner’s separate process on a fossil‑fuel waiver, referenced in the hearing, will proceed on its own track and could require additional public review.
