By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The over-55 Sagamore Spring Golf Club development project would have less of a financial impact on the schools than building 82 single-family homes, Town Administrator Rob Dolan said during the School Committee’s Oct. 25 meeting.
Luxury development company Toll Brothers and the Sagamore Spring Real Estate Trust have come to terms on a purchase-and-sale agreement that would allow the firm to construct 66 detached two-bedroom homes as part of an over-55 development on 36 acres on the Sagamore Spring Golf Club’s eastern side that encompasses the driving range and adjacent undeveloped land. The proposed development would also include a clubhouse containing an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and a common area for residents to use.
The trust is looking to continue operating the 18-hole golf course as part of the plan.
Dolan said the golf club is “the largest piece of undeveloped land in the community.” He noted that Fall Town Meeting will be voting on two zoning changes related to the project on Monday, Nov. 14. He said Articles 6 and 7 require a two-thirds vote to pass.
“I believe that the decision made on Nov. 14 could have the most positive and/or challenging impact on the schools,” said Dolan. “The debate is not a question of whether or not something will be built on the Sagamore property. The question is what will be built on this property and when.”
While Dolan said the trust is currently pursuing the over-55 development project, he noted that the trust has “as of right authority to build as many as 82 single-family homes of up to six bedrooms each on their property.”
“It should be noted, however, that the goal of the trust is to build the best possible development that benefits the town and the trust,” said Dolan.
Dolan recalled that the Sagamore Spring Real Estate Trust is comprised of 18 family members who live across the country.
“Their position is that it is time for the family to benefit from this land financially,” said Dolan.
If Fall Town Meeting rejects the two zoning changes,
ESE Consultants Land Planner Hannah Mazzaccaro stated in a memo sent to Toll Brothers Massachusetts Senior Vice President Shawn Nuckolls that the company will be looking to construct an 82-lot subdivision on the entire golf course. She said the company has analyzed the financial impact of both projects.
“This analysis determined that the proposed senior housing development will provide a large surplus of annual tax revenue to the town,” Mazzaccaro wrote. “The proposed development will be age-restricted to adults 55 and older, therefore the new homes will not add any education costs. Education costs are the biggest budget item funded by Lynnfield’s taxpayers. ESE’s projection shows that each new senior home in Lynnfield will provide about $11,930 in surplus property tax revenue each year, paying much more into the tax base than they will consume in local services. This estimate is consistent with the results seen in towns with existing age-restricted residential communities.”
If 82 homes are built on the Sagamore Spring Golf Club, Mazzaccaro stated that the 82-home subdivision would “create a net tax deficit for Lynnfield” because the new homes would be “expending more in services — primarily educational services — than they pay in property taxes.”
“Based on a per capita analysis, the 82 new homes would house 290 residents, 70 of whom would be school-aged children attending K-12 public schools,” Mazzaccaro wrote. “Due to the high cost of education, ESE projects that each new home would create a fiscal deficit of approximately $4,171 per home, per year.”
Superintendent Kristen Vogel said in an interview with the Villager that ESE is “underestimating” the impact if the 82-home subdivision gets built instead of the over-55 development.
“Based on the very quick timeline for the construction of these 82 homes, it has the potential to have a large number of students coming into our schools all at the same time,” said Vogel. “That would be very difficult financially to anticipate, prepare for and handle in a very short period of time.”
While Dolan told the School Committee that the schools have the space to accommodate an influx of school-age children, he said an 82-home subdivision would create financial problems for the town and the schools.
“The issue is not space even though every space is currently being used at Huckleberry Hill School and Summer Street School,” said Dolan. “The issue is the immediate and overwhelming flow of new children and the operational and financial impact in terms of staffing and teachers. Having 66 units for over-55 housing would have far less of an impact.”
Dolan recalled that new growth is “one of the few ways towns can provide new revenue for schools and town services.” He noted that new growth, along with property tax revenue, local receipts and state aid, primarily fund the town’s operating budget.
“Our new growth has been steadily going down post-MarketStreet,” said Dolan. “The 66 units is a generally painless option with incredible impact. It presents new growth, the majority of which will be used to help fund the schools, which are experiencing a number of unique needs.”
Sagamore Spring Real Estate Trustee Richard Luff recalled that the 2018 Spring Town Meeting rejected a 154-unit over-55 townhouse development along the golf course’s front nine. He said a number of developers have expressed interest in buying the golf course over the past four years.
“This is a much more responsible development than the 2018 proposal and is far more responsible than pursuing the 82 single-family homes alternative,” said Luff. “We feel this is the best solution for the town and the trust. This is a big decision for the town of Lynnfield. Something will happen on this property. The economics will not allow it to remain a bucolic 18-hole course as it has been for nearly 100 years.”
School Committee Chair Rich Sjoberg thanked Luff and the trust for not closing the golf course and building 82 homes on it four years ago.
“I want to thank you for not making that choice after the first development was turned down in 2018,” said Sjoberg. “The 66-unit development proposal is a much better option for the town.”
School Committeeman Jamie Hayman said constructing 82 single-family homes across the golf course will have a “significant impact” on the School Department’s operating budget.
“I think the fiscal analysis is really conservative in terms of having an average of 0.8 school-age kids in each of these houses,” said Hayman. “And even at that conservative rate, we are still running a deficit. It has nothing to do with us not wanting to have more kids or whether we have the space for more kids. We just went through a budget process where we cut everything we could that wasn’t for educational or instructional resources. That was painful enough. If you add another $2 million, $3 million or $4 million in operating costs, we are looking at overrides for the budget or making really significant cuts for the district. That impact would be significant.”
School Committee Vice Chair Stacy Dahlstedt said more than 70 children will be living in the 82 single-family homes if the subdivision gets built instead of the over-55 development.
“We want to welcome students and families to Lynnfield, but this influx all at once would be incredibly challenging,” said Dahlstedt. “I really appreciate Mr. Luff and the trust for trying to balance their needs with the town’s needs.”
School Committee member Phil McQueen said townspeople need to understand the consequences if the over-55 project gets voted down.
“The narrative that has been spinning around since 2018 has been no development is an option,” said McQueen. “That is obviously not the case. The 82 houses will probably have between three and four kids in each one of them. There is going to be a development, and things are not going to stay the same. The 66 units is best option for the town, and the other option is an absolute unmitigated disaster.”
School Committee member Kate DePrizio thanked Dolan, Luff and the rest of the trust for working together to create a plan that is “best for everybody.” She encouraged residents to attend Fall Town Meeting on Nov. 14 and support “what protects the schools and what protects the town.”
Hayman requested that the School Committee vote to recommend Articles 6 and 7 during its next meeting, which will be held before Fall Town Meeting. The school board unanimously supported Hayman’s request.
Luff thanked the School Committee for supporting the project.