Letter from Bay State School of Tech owner

Related: Residents come out in force against proposed detox facility

Greetings to the Canton Board of Selectmen, Zoning Board of Appeals, and the citizens of our town:

My name is Robert W. Mason. I am the owner of Bay State School of Technology, 225 Turnpike Street, and a longtime Canton resident.

You’ve heard a lot lately about “Fake News” and I’d like to clear up a few misconceptions stemming from recent social media posts that are making some of our neighbors and residents unhappy. Much of this unhappiness is caused by rumors and half-truths, instead of facts. Residents should not be threatening other residents based on non-truths. We all have a right to our opinions, but they should be based on truth, not lies.

I’ve owned the building at 225 Turnpike Street for almost 30 years, and I have always treated our neighbors like I would always want to be treated. Example: The back gate on the property opens onto Russell Street, a quiet neighborhood. When I purchased the property, the back gate was open all the time, and people were coming into our driveway and using the back entrance as a shortcut to avoid the back-ups on Route 138. I closed and locked that gate. Sure we had backups on our property as a result, but the neighbors were not disturbed. Now the only time the gate is used is when there is an emergency. The neighbors loved it.

About two years ago I decided to downsize the school and move to a smaller facility, still in Canton. Since that time I have received many different proposals to purchase the property at 225 Turnpike, most from fast food chains. The best proposal I received was from a very successful businessman. His proposal was to develop the property and build 100 luxury apartments or condominiums, with an underground garage and all the amenities to make it a first-class facility. This seemed to be a good solution for all, and one I could support.

The businessman approached the town for approval to build 100 units on the property, similar to other parcels in the area. The town only allowed him approval to build less than half of what he wanted, 46 units. There would have to be a zoning board variance granted for the town to approve 100 units.

A different opportunity was presented to him by a very good 501(c)3 non-profit organization that he felt would be good for all parties and one which would allow him to make a profit, something he likely would not do if he could only build the 46 units approved by the town.

As it was explained to the purchaser and myself, the proposed facility would provide many services to people in the latter part of their drug treatment regimens, such as medical services, housing and meals, counseling and the proper atmosphere to allow addicts to put their lives back together again. This would be a voluntary admissions unit. Nobody would be forced to go there. In addition, preference would be given to Canton residents.

I thought about the processes involved in seeking permission to build such a facility, and truly believed that our elected officials and boards would do the right thing and forego the need for lawyers and lawsuits that benefit nobody. I ask for your guidance and wisdom in this process. The true facts must be made known so each citizen of our town can make an intelligent decision.

Sincerely,

Bob Mason

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=38577

Posted by Canton Citizen on Apr 6 2018. Filed under Featured Content, From One Citizen to Another, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.