The Wang property is outlined in blue. The lot on which the house sits is in yellow. Click image to enlarge.
The sale of the 16-acre Bedford Road property owned by the late An and Lorraine Wang was completed on November 17 for $2.375 million, and residents will be asked at Town Meeting to approve the purchase of 12 of those acres for use as conservation land and a new town athletic field.
The Rural Land Foundation (RLF) bought the property together with the Birches School, which plans to relocate to the remaining four acres, including the Wangs’ 12,000-square-foot house at 100 Bedford Rd.
The 16 acres of land comprise seven parcels along Bedford Road and Oak Knoll Road with a total assessed value of $2.3 million and a full development value of $3 million to $4 million, RLF Executive Director Geoff McGean said in October when the planned deal was announced.
The RLF and Birches have agreed to carry the cost of the property until the 2017 Town Meeting, when voters will be asked to pay the two organizations $850,000 and to allocate an additional as-yet-unspecified amount to build the athletic field. If residents reject the proposal, the RLF and Birches will seek to develop the property, which has three potentially buildable lots, to recoup their investment.
Officials hope to have the $850,000+ appropriated from funds collected through the Community Preservation Act. Those funds derive from a 3 percent surcharge on property tax bills, supplemented by money from the state, and can be spent on open space, preservation of historic structures, provision of low and moderate income housing, and recreation.
“The decision to pursue this opportunity was done in concert with two partners: Birches School and Parks & Recreation,” McGean said. “We had three different organizations, each with its own unique needs, and the Wang property provided a potential path forward for all of us. We are grateful to the Wang family, which made this transaction an affordable possibility.”
“We’ve been searching for land for more than 15 years and we recognize that when an opportunity like this comes along, we need to seize it,” said Parks & Rec Director Dan Pereira. “The town doesn’t have the ability to act on short notice, so we’re fortunate to be able to partner with the RLF and Birches School to make this an option for the town. Lincoln is also able to take advantage of significant cost savings, since Birches School will be building and maintaining the parking lot for the potential field.”
“This is an exciting opportunity to balance these different community needs while also connecting an important property to adjacent land already in conservation,” said Lincoln Conservation Director Thomas Gumbart.
The Birches School, which currently has 45 students in rented space in the First Parish Stone Church, has already begun to renovate the home, working with Lincoln architects Woodie and Loretta Arthur of D.W. Arthur Associates Architects. The school hopes to move into their new facility by Fall 2017.
Officials will schedule future public meetings to discuss site plans and project funding.