Writing about Lancaster, Massachusetts

  With a 2-1 vote on December 8th, Allison and Carr voted to tax the average homeowner an extra $300 this year to lower business taxes: at least 73 will pay less this year than they did in 2019.    With residential values skyrocketing, why have we been so reluctant to split the tax rates?

  Here in Lancaster, Capital Group Properties is mostly "not doing" things: they're not building "Lancaster Landings" and not paying us the $100K that they promised us.   In Framingham, however,  they've been busy.  This month Bill Depietri sued a recent widow, insisting that their email exchange resulted in a finalized contract.   He now wants the land court to force her to sell him her home --assessed at $773K this year-- to him for $350K.

  This afternoon Superintendent Kirk Downing sent an email to Nashoba District food services employees and extended-day personnel: the district will pursue an initiative to outsource their jobs.    Many district parents – who have given the administration a C+ rating for years now – might like to replace someone else.

  Contracting Speck Dempsey, Nelson Nygaard and Dain Torpy for this year’s master-planning process in Lancaster, including a “Walkable City Talk” by designer/author Jeff Speck, will cost the state $236K according to records received from the state.     Take a look at the contract and RFP response.

  On September 26 th Capital Group Properties responded to the town’s demand for a promised $100K contribution: they refuse to pay the second contribution...and demand a refund of the first payment.   They also want the town to modify the agreement so that they can continue “Earth Processing” operations on the site until 2035.

  During her time in Lancaster, Kate Hodges struggled to maintain professional relationships.  Nine months into her new job, she’s threatening to deploy the police inappropriately and the School Superintendent is threatening to sue her.   For people in Lancaster and Concord, it all sounds very familiar.

                              In exchange for a approving a zoning change in 2023, Capital Group Properties/702, LLC promised two $100,000 contributions to Lancaster.     The second contribution is more than three months late.  The town administration is considering its options.