WESTWOOD STATION DEVELOPER ENDS SETTLEMENT TALKS WITH CANTON: Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, developer of the behemoth Westwood Station, will sever efforts to resolve a dispute with nearby Canton, as the town continues its effort to thwart the project, the company’s president announced Wednesday morning. “[T]he prospect of continuing litigation with Canton forces me, like you, to plan on more legal fees for this continuing dispute,” CC&F President Jay Doherty wrote in an email to Canton Selectman Robert Burr. “We estimate that most, if not all, of the proposed $3.5 million in funds that would have assisted with local Canton traffic conditions will now need to be devoted to legal fees. Therefore, with great reluctance, I must end our efforts to conclude a settlement with the Town of Canton.” A lawyer for Canton announced Monday that the town would appeal a Superior Court decision to dismiss its lawsuit against CC&F and the state for what Canton contends was inadequate infrastructure planning and environmental review. In his letter, Doherty contends that he offered Canton $3.5 million in local road improvements as well as reimbursement for $857,000 of the town’s legal costs, in exchange for the town lifting its opposition. “You did not accept this offer,” he wrote. Burr was not immediately available for comment. Supporters of the 4.5-million-square-foot development say it will bring thousands of permanent jobs to the region, but critics – mostly Canton officials – argue that it will flood nearby roads with 65,000 new cars per day.
Ever drive through Canton during commuting times? It’s pretty much a nightmare now, before Westwood station.
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p>Infrastructure improvements are necessary. If the developer hasn’t done enough (and guess what 3.5 million is chump change when it comes to these kind of improvements), adding an off ramp on 95 and widening lanes on Dedham Street is going to cost 23 million, there is already an existing on ramp.
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p>My feeling is that Cabot, Cabot & Forbes need to get their act together and not hold towns hostage. It costs what it costs in order to improve infrastructure in an already bad situation.
Growth = traffic (although the a big part of this project is that it’s transit-centric). Growth also = necessary for our state and society to advance. This is rank NIMBYism. It’s also why our housing costs are astronomical.
Growth and revenue goes to Westwood. Traffic goes to Canton.
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p>It’s incredibly easy to place intense development on your town line, so that your residents are insulated from the impact. Canton may have a legitimate beef.
and another new exit off of Dedham Street. It’s Westwood, but it really does not impact Westwood residents. There is only a single road that might get impacted. While the more significant impact will happen to Canton and Norwood. I don’t see it as NIMBYism, even though I would imagine that are not so happy about it. Hey, Westwood residents to cul-de-sac Canton Street, the ONLY roadway that’s impact in the entire town, that would be NIMBYism. They wanted to place a few jersey barriers right in the middle of the road, cutting it off. The folks in Canton have a legitimate gripe and my trust is definitely not with the developer.