LONGMEADOW –  On Dec. 4 the Longmeadow Select Board met, where in response to the request of the investors of the Brewer Young mansion to offer a presentation to the town at a future Select Board meeting on Nov. 20, several residents came out to voice their concerns and disinterest in the distinguished building being re-zoned for commercial-professional use.  

Members of the Select Board noted that body has no say in the decision to allow the redevelopment and the ultimate fate may rest in the results of a special town meeting.

Seven residents offered their apprehensions regarding this issue, with all residents being neighbors of the Brewer Young Mansion on Longmeadow St. Henry Crotsky presented a brief history of the town of Longmeadow, and why he believes the town is at a crossroads.

“In the 1850’s there were a large number of taverns and businesses located on the town green, as well as up and down Longmeadow Street. The town entered into 40-year leases with the businesses on the green in the understanding that at the expiration of those leases, all of the businesses would relocate and remove their buildings as apart of a plan to restore the town to its original, colonial aspect,” Crotsky shared.  “When these leases expired in the 1890’s the town went ahead and removed all businesses and structures from the green, leaving only the general store, which is now the Spa on the Green.  This represents the earliest example of community planning and landscape restoration in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Crotsky continued on to say that if the town votes to allow for the zoning change, this opens the door for other agencies to set up shop up and down Route 5, “sending Longmeadow on a course for commercialization which will destroy what makes us so unique.”

“We’re getting bombarded with a lot of information from the investors and the people who want to develop that property, and we would just like to have the opportunity to talk about that there are other options other than rezoning as a commercial property. We keep hearing that’s the only option, and there’s a lot of other really good ones to preserve the town that I moved into 10 years ago,” resident Ed Carol stated.

Longmeadow townsperson Kate Dean noted that if the property were to be rezoned, the investors are “really under no legal obligation to preserve 734 Longmeadow St.”

Additional concerns that were mentioned were in regard to the safety of residents, especially children, as the crosswalks on Longmeadow St. are used daily, and by turning the Brewer Young mansion into a professional office space, there would be more traffic than normal.  Another resident mentioned that he believes there is no need for more professional office space in town, as when he last checked there was 15,000 square feet available.

Resident David Bogan moved to Longmeadow seven years ago with his wife.  He believes that if the town votes to change the zoning on the mansion, the town will run the risk of economic harm to every town resident.

“We were taken by the green; it is what I consider to be the town’s jewel.  It’s perception; perception when it comes to real estate is reality.  It is that perception which causes people to want to invest here, to want to buy homes here, to want their children to grow up here, and they’re willing to pay a premium for it,” Bogan shared.  “When you think about taking the largest structure on the green and turning it into something other than a residential property, you run the risk of harming your jewel. You strip away that patina that makes Longmeadow what it is, and it begins to potentially look like many towns around it.”

Individuals from the group of residents requested that because the investors of the Brewer Young mansion were put on the agenda for the Dec. 18 meeting to give a presentation of their plans, that they be allowed to present their opposition to the project as well.

At the close of the Select Board meeting the Board discussed whether or not they thought either side, the developers or the opposition, should be allowed to make presentations in front of the Select Board.

Select Board Chair Thomas Lachiusa stated that his concern is he doesn’t want the town to think that the Select Board isn’t doing their job.

“I don’t want anyone to think the Select Board didn’t want to deal with this issue, it was too touchy, they didn’t want to have an open forum, they didn’t want to have them present, they didn’t want to have people come to resident comments, they just set up a special town meeting with a short period and a little window where people are out of town and it got voted in, and they’re not doing their job.  I want people to think we’re doing our job, we’re being transparent and we’re giving everyone in town an opportunity to know what’s going on,” Lachiusa said.

While Lachiusa didn’t mind having both sides present, the rest of the Select Board came to an agreement that they don’t think presenting in front of the Board is inappropriate.

“I think it’s not board business.  To be using our meetings for basically propaganda for either side, I think it’s inappropriate.  I think there’s another format that can successfully carry it out.  I think it’s a slippery slope we’re starting to slide on,” Select Board member Richard Foster said.

“I personally am of the opinion that things that come before the Select Board ought to be things that the Select Board has to act on, obviously because we’ve indicated we have no action this is just information for town residents, it’s essentially a town forum, then it ought to be open as a town forum. The fact is that we’re not being asked to make any decisions; I personally don’t think either group should be before the select board,” Vice Chair Mark Gold added.

Town Manager Stephen Crane suggested to the Board that he ask the town moderator to see if she’d be willing to hold a community forum so that both sides can make a case for themselves in a public setting.  Crane noted that the moderator could decline this considering it is a private project, however he said he would ask.  At the upcoming Dec. 18 Select Board meeting, the group decided they would only allow the investors of the Brewer Young mansion to offer their petition to have a town meeting, but would not allow the individuals to give a presentation.