Action Alert: Lantana Land Swap

As you can see in a recent Globe article, the Lantana function hall is drawing closer to reaching its goal of paving over three acres of parkland in the Blue Hills Reservation. In exchange, Commonwealth residents – all of whom own the park - will receive one land locked parcel and another parcel that is a wetlands and thus already protected from development.

We can still make a difference by writing Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles and DCR Commissioner Richard Sullivan, urging them to ensure that the Commonwealth is compensated for the full value of the parkland. An accurate appraisal of the true value of the land will show that this is a rotten deal for the Commonwealth and all of us who care about our parks.

What you can do

Let Sec. Bowles and Com. Sullivan know that the owners of the Lantana need to provide a new appraisal for the land parcels in the Lantana Land Swap.

Contact Information

Secretary Ian Bowles

email: ian.bowles@state.ma.us or write:

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

100 Cambridge St, 9th Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Commissioner Richard Sullivan

Department of Conservation and Recreation

251 Causeway Street, Suite 600

Boston, MA 02114-2104

Sample letter

Secretary Ian Bowles
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge St, 9th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Dear Sec. Bowles:

I am very concerned about the proposed land swap of 3.2 acres of Blue Hills Reservation property located in on High Street in Randolph. The owner of the Lantana function hall has offered to swap property that is greatly inferior in value to the prime, wooded parkland that the Commonwealth will be forfeiting in this deal.

The two parcels the developer is offering to trade are not of equal value. One is a land locked parcel, with no trails, no access for development and invasives that degrade its biologic value. The other parcel the proponent offers is wetlands which the Commonwealth already protects from development.

We urge you to require the developer to complete an accurate appraisal assessing the fair market value of the Reservation land. The appraisal prepared by Lantana grossly undervalues the parkland because it is over three years old and it limits the potential use of the land to a parking lot.

I understand that you have required the owner of the Lantana function hall to update the appraisal. Please accept only an accurate appraisal of the true market value of the land.
I also know that you have made a commitment to require adequate compensation to all Article 97 land, which includes the Blue Hills Reservation. I ask you to act on that commitment.

Thank you for your attention to this issue that lies at the heart of Article 97 land protection.

Sincerely,