Fate of Winslow School Property Uncertain as Selectmen Reject All Bids-September 17, 1980

The future of the Winslow School property on Chapel Street remains up in the air after the Board of Selectmen unanimously rejected all four development bids received for the site and disbanded its neighborhood advisory committee.

Rejected Bids Fall Short of Appraised Value

Selectmen dismissed the submitted proposals as far too low compared to independent market valuations. Appraisals prepared in July by Boston firm Meredith & Grew estimated the property’s market value at $200,000 for single-family residential development and up to $500,000 for multi-family use.

The four proposals reviewed by the board included:

• Consolidated Development Inc.: Bid $170,000 to construct 85 units for the elderly and handicapped.
• Boen Development Corp.: Offered $129,000 to build 43 one- and two-bedroom condominiums.
• Norwood Housing Authority: Proposed utilizing the site for approximately 100 units of elderly housing, but specified no purchase price.
• McNeil & Associates: Submitted a proposal for residential development with no purchase price or specific building plans.

“Christmas comes in December, not September,” remarked Selectman Walter J. Dempsey, asserting that none of the offers represented a fair deal for the town. Dempsey suggested that dividing the four-acre parcel into seven individual house lots valued at $20,000 to $25,000 each for single- and two-family homes would better preserve the character of the surrounding neighborhood. Selectman John F. Kinnaly labeled the bids “ridiculous” and argued that accepting them would be a “disservice to the town.”

Selectman Mary J. Fox dissented from the board’s decision, arguing that the purchase prices were open to negotiation and that accepting a bid would at least “get the thing off the ground.”

Background and Other Board Actions

The four-acre property—which last housed school children in 1974 and served as school department administrative offices for five years before closing in August—currently has three classrooms rented out on a short-term basis to The Educational Cooperative. With all bids rejected, the sale of the building has been postponed until officials believe more favorable offers can be secured.

During the meeting, selectmen also handled several other municipal matters:

• Queen’s Court Apartments: Met with the planning board and town counsel to discuss an application by Community Development Associates of Braintree seeking a special tax assessment exemption for the proposed Queen’s Court Apartments on Wilson Street.
• Caldor Shopping Center Permit: Defeated a motion by Mary J. Fox to request an explanation from the zoning board of appeals regarding its issuance of a special permit for the Caldor shopping center on Route 1, which Fox opposed due to traffic concerns and local merchant protests.
• Airport Runway Funding: Approved two special town meeting warrant articles seeking to reconsider last year’s vote holding up funds for airport runway improvements until a noise abatement agreement is reached with the state.
• Proposition 2 1/2 Debate: Granted use of Memorial Hall to the Democratic Town Committee for an October 2 debate on Proposition 2 1/2.
• Executive Session: Convened in executive session to discuss a police vacation time lawsuit and ongoing labor contract negotiations with the firefighters union.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger