Officials: Many moving parts with St. Gerard’s purchase

About 33 people showed up in person Monday night at the first of two public listening forums convened to allow residents to weigh in on the question of making an offer to purchase the former St. Gerard Majella church property for town use. Attending were Town Moderator Alan Hines and Select Board members Mike Loughran (chair), Lisa Lopez (vice chair), John Connolly, and Tom Theodore. The forums will assist the board in preparing for the upcoming vote at a special town meeting on December 1.

St. Gerard Majella

The decision timeline on St. Gerard’s has sped up in recent months since the initial announcement made about three years ago by the Archdiocese of Boston that St. Gerard and St. John the Evangelist Church would enter into a collaborative relationship. The public later learned that the two parishes would be consolidated into one, followed by news that the resulting parish would be given the new name of St. Oscar Romero. In spring 2021, an announcement was made that the St. Gerard and St. John properties were being evaluated for sale, as only one would be retained. The decision to sell St. Gerard was released in September.

Hines opened the forum by stressing the fast-moving nature of the situation, saying, “There are developments almost every day, with so many moving parts.” The concern that the board must act quickly or lose an opportunity was a recurrent theme during the forum.

Another theme was that the board wouldn’t necessarily have answers to every question attendees might ask. Loughran said that the board is “trying to act in the best interests of the public,” but changing details require constant work to keep up. He said all the changes required multiple revisions to the night’s presentation.

Board members also stressed the importance of protecting sensitive negotiations with the Archdiocese, which could affect specificity of answers to questions from the public. As the property owner, the Archdiocese controls the timeline going forward, and the board is limited in its ability to guide the process.

In an overview, Lopez gave basic information about the property. The 19,000-square-foot church building at 1860 Washington Street was constructed in 1960; the rectory is about 4,000 square feet and includes some office space. The five-acre property, bounded by Adrienne Drive on the north and Old Coach Road on the south, includes 227 parking spaces. Its assessed value is $4.4 million, although the church is tax exempt. Zoning is residential; the parcel is part Single Residence A and part Single Residence B, with the difference pertaining to lot sizes.

One PowerPoint slide highlighted the Select Board’s awareness that sale of St. Gerard’s is a “sad and emotional decision” for many former parishioners, an acknowledgment that was confirmed by several people during the open mic session. The church’s role as a “vibrant member of the community” through service to families both inside and outside the parish through disaster relief and the very popular annual, week-long Kids Camp was also echoed repeatedly.

Lopez stressed that the decision to sell was entirely made by the Archdiocese with no involvement from the town. She said that as an example of fast-moving developments, the board learned only Friday that the Archdiocese has now listed the property (but without a stated price) and has already shown it to several interested parties. Its unique combination of a property with many potential uses plus significant parking make it very attractive to the town. The undeveloped portion could be helpful for future storm and water management needs. Lopez pointed out that any real estate property in Canton is a “finite resource.”

Despite pressure from the possibility that the Archdiocese may act quickly, the board wants to fully understand the town’s interest in order to make sure it is protecting its long-term interests. About 12 individuals spoke briefly during open mic time. Many of the speakers said they live in the St. Gerard neighborhood, and most seemed to be former parishioners. Several spoke in favor of a community center. Other topics raised included the potential for helping small businesses, tax costs to residents, potential stresses on schools if houses are built on the property, and condition of the 60-year old building.

A calm mood prevailed with an occasional undercurrent of sadness over the loss of the church. Some expressed hopes that future property use would honor and promote community spirit. There was occasional, scattered applause, especially at references to Kids Camp.

Several people requested clarification regarding zoning, with fears expressed of what a developer might do and whether the town might “flip” the property — to which Lopez responded with a definite “No.” One man mentioned purchases of properties made by past boards that became unexpectedly costly.

The question of whether the town will use eminent domain, which has been a concern of some residents, remains open, depending on counsel and on negotiations with the Archdiocese. Eminent domain allows a government to acquire private property to serve public need through following a negotiated process and paying a fair market price. Its use would depend on the outcome of the December 1 vote. The second public forum was scheduled to take place Wednesday evening virtually over Zoom.

Anyone interested in submitting questions for the board is encouraged to email atm@town.canton.ma.us. The forum was recorded by Canton Community TV and will be re-broadcast.

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Posted by Candace Paris on Nov 12 2021. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.