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Select Board approves $615,000 purchase of 34-acre Ellis Walker property for conservation
Summary
The Westborough Select Board voted 4–0, with one recusal, to authorize purchase-and-sale agreements to acquire the 34-acre Ellis Walker property on Bowman Street for $615,000, place the land under the Conservation Commission and grant a conservation restriction to the Sudbury Valley Trustees. Funding will include a 50% Land and Water Conservation Fund award and private contributions.
The Westborough Select Board on April 8 authorized purchase-and-sale agreements to acquire the 34-acre Ellis Walker property on Bowman Street for conservation and passive recreation, approving the measures 4–0 with one recusal.
Town conservation staff told the board the town will front the $615,000 purchase price from free cash and seek reimbursement from outside sources. The funding breakdown presented by staff was a 50% award from the Land and Water Conservation Fund ($307,500), $200,000 from the Sudbury Valley Trustees (which will hold the conservation restriction) and $107,500 from a private contributor; an additional $20,000–$25,000 was described as proposed stewardship funds to support survey and initial trail work.
Vice Chair Shelby Marshall presided over the discussion after the chair recused themself because of a familial relationship to the property. Town staff said both the purchase-and-sale agreements and a near-final conservation restriction were attached to the meeting packet; SVT will hold the conservation restriction and the Conservation Commission will have care, custody and control of the land.
Board members asked for timing and permitting details. Staff said the agreements were ready to be executed, that due diligence (survey and Phase I environmental assessment) would start once the agreements are signed and that state review of the conservation restriction often takes several months. The board amended the motion to authorize the vice chair (and the board generally) to sign necessary documents before taking the final vote.
The motion approved language to acquire the property for conservation and passive recreation, to grant a conservation restriction to the Sudbury Valley Trustees and to authorize execution of related documents. The board recorded the vote as 4 in favor, none opposed, with one member recused.
