Uxbridge Select Board approves sale of 4543 Millville Road contingent on mutually agreed deed restriction

The Uxbridge Select Board voted Aug. 11 to approve the sale of town-owned property at 4543 Millville Road, contingent on a deed restriction to protect a natural berm that board members said provides important visual and sound buffering for nearby homes.

Resident Steve Crotto, who identified himself as living at 408 Douglas Street, urged the board during public comment to “slow this sale award down into the town” and to gather more information about the buyer’s background before approving a transfer of the 10-acre parcel. “Once it is gone, it is gone,” Crotto said, noting prior arbitration involving the bidder and the difficulty of evaluating risk without public records of those proceedings.

Town staff and the town manager reviewed the procurement history: the board approved a draft request for proposals and a license for a 21e environmental investigation on May 27; the town engaged Howard Dono & Associates to appraise the parcel (an appraisal that returned in the neighborhood of $50,000); and the RFP was advertised in early June with a July 7 bid deadline. The RFP produced a single responsive bid of $200,000.

Representatives of the successful bidder — identified in the meeting as Railroad Construction Company (RCC) affiliates — told the board they met the requirements of the RFP and preferred that any deed restriction or buffer be negotiated during the purchase-and-sale process rather than imposed as a condition at the award stage. The bidder’s representative said site constraints — sewer easements, buffer/setback requirements, flood-zone and wetland areas, and steep slopes — reduce the parcel’s usable acreage.

Selectman Wise pressed for written protection of the berm and said he would not vote to approve the sale unless such a deed restriction was agreed. After discussion, the board approved a motion by Selectman Wise, seconded by Selectman Plasco, to approve the sale “with a deed restriction that is mutually agreed upon by both parties.” The motion passed in open session; the chair noted one member, Selectman Demers, was not present.

Next steps outlined by staff and the bidder include negotiation of a purchase-and-sale agreement, completion of any required surveys and the 21e investigation, and review by planning and zoning boards. If the sale proceeds through those boards, the matter will ultimately be presented to the town meeting for final action.

The board’s approval relates solely to allowing the sale process to move forward under the specified condition; it does not approve any particular development plan for the property.

What happens next: town and buyer counsel will negotiate deed-language and survey lines, the 21e investigation and purchase-and-sale steps will proceed, and planning and zoning reviews will follow before any final change in ownership.