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At the January 6 meeting of the Sudbury Select Board, the board established a subcommittee to gather information on the Liberty Ledge/Camp Sewataro property and similar municipal projects. The charge of the committee was slightly modified during the meeting, but largely tasked the subcommittee with compiling “existing materials, planning studies, comparable municipal projects, and relevant expert perspectives related to the use and long-term implications of the property.”
Town Manager Andy Sheehan had previously recommended establishing a broad-based committee of residents by way of a Town Meeting vote in May. The board did not take his recommendation, and instead voted 4-1 to establish its own subcommittee to gather information. The board discussed potentially forming a broader committee after they complete their information gathering, but that will be the subject of a future discussion.
Notably, several board members had concerns about the timeline, as the clock is ticking on a second possible extension with the camp operator at Sewataro. For that reason, the subcommittee was tasked with delivering a compilation of their findings within the next two months. The board also agreed to make the Sewataro property a standing item on every Select Board meeting agenda moving forward, during which the subcommittee can report on their progress.
The board appointed Vice Chair Janie Dretler and member Dan Carty to the subcommittee. Dretler and Carty were both on the board when the Town acquired the property in 2019. Carty supported the acquisition, the first contract with the current camp operator, and the first contract extension. Dretler opposed the acquisition of the property, but supported the first contract with the camp operator, then opposed the first contract extension.
The current arrangement with a camp operator was presented to voters in 2019 as a means of buying time so that the Town could create a long-term plan for the property after the acquisition. The Select Board attempted to get $200,000 in funding for a land use consultant for the property at the Annual Town Meeting in 2022, but the article failed to win a majority of voters in the hall. While that approach to developing a plan did not pan out, the board went another three years before taking action on an alternative planning process. The subcommittee appears to be the first step in a multi-step process to build a long term plan for the use of the property.