Minutes

SACRED HEART REUSE COMMITTEE

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Approved on November 30, 2010

The Sacred Heart Reuse Committee (“SHRC”) held its eleventh meeting on September 3, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center.  Members present were: Stephen Carter, John Davis, Rita Fontes and Ed Keenan.

David Wluka, President of Wluka Real Estate Corp., Two Chestnut Square, Sharon, met with the Committee.  (Mr. Wluka had previously met with Town Manager Ben Puritz and also visited the property.)  Mr. Wluka discussed several site options based on current community needs.  One option (which he described as “out of the box”) would be to build a new high school on the site.  Recreational restrictions on the Sacred Heart property could be moved to the Horizons for Youth property on the lake.  Mr. Keenan understood that, at present, certain property near East Foxboro Street and Eagle Drive has been tentatively set aside for a new high school to be built sometime in the distant future.

Other options would be to move Town Hall or the Sharon Public Library to the Sacred Heart site.  Mr. Wluka’s personal preference, however, would be to leave the Library near the center of Town.

Discussion ensued regarding the Town’s desires – what do residents want the property to do for them?  Should it be an attraction?  Should it be treated as a revenue source?  Should the Town retain the property as an asset and enter into a ground lease, or should it sell the property and collect tax revenue?  Alternatively, if the property is leased or sold to a non-profit agency, PILOT payments (payments in lieu of taxes) might generate some income for the Town.

Mr. Wluka agrees the abandoned dormitory must be removed.  It is a “tear-down” not worth saving.  The approval of any development plan should be expressly conditioned on razing the structure.  He also stated that the Sharon High School sewage treatment facility is only at 20% capacity.  The Committee should explore whether any facility built at Sacred Heart can be tied into the High School plant.  If there is indeed excess capacity at the High School, homes between Sacred Heart and the High School might also be tied in for a price and charged annual usage fees.

In Mr. Wluka’s opinion, an indoor recreational facility would be an “intense use” of the property, yet its location is a good one.  It’s close to the center of Town, accessible to Route 1 and Interstate 95, and near a signalized intersection.  He described the use of the property for senior housing as perhaps the “least offensive” option.

Recreation Director Brett MacGowan and State Representative Lou Kafka will attend the Committee’s next meeting.  Mr. Davis will contact Eric Hooper to inquire about the capacity of the Sharon High School sewage treatment facility and a possible tie-in to Sacred Heart.  Mr. Davis will also contact Ed Lyons, 5 Falcon Road, an architect and former chairman of the Planning Board.  Mr. Wluka identified Mr. Lyons as a possible resource to the Committee.

A motion was made to approve the minutes of the SHRC meetings of 4/2/08; 4/16/08; 4/30/08; 5/21/08; and 6/4/08.  The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.