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We’ve all seen it. And it’s objectively… hideous. If someone owned this parcel of land and Hell, the odds are pretty good that they would opt to live in Hell and rent out this land.
Yes, we’re talking about the parcel at the corner of Nobscot and Boston Post Road. Address: 465 Boston Post Road.
Formerly a gas station, the land has been the subject of frustration for residents for years. It has also been the subject of much speculation. Some claimed on social media that the land was contaminated, and therefore too expensive to redevelop. Others claimed the owner is unmotivated to do anything with it. Some claimed that the site was a portal to the Upside Down.
Okay, that last one I made up… but just think about it. We have a set of gated off, abandoned government buildings in the woods on the west side of town, and then this abandoned gas station hiding in plain sight. You can’t tell me the little cashier’s hut isn’t a gateway. Vecna’s down there plotting terrible things with Pennywise…
Okay, so what’s the real story?
A reader requested that we dig into it, so we started digging. That included multiple conversations with the owner of the land, Tropic Star Development CEO, Scott Mitchell, who was happy to discuss his company’s efforts over the years to redevelop the property. We also reached out to the Town of Sudbury Planning Department, and sourced a bunch of public records.
Here’s what we learned:
Is it contaminated?
It turns out the property is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP). Contrary to many of the rumors, the owner says the site was actually cleaned up. Even the old tanks have been removed.
It continues to go through regular review for contamination. You can review all those reports on the MA DEP site here.
It’s our understanding based on memos we reviewed from the Health Department that a Licensed Site Professional continues to monitor cleanup on the site.
Why hasn’t the owner done anything with it?
It turns out that Tropic Star has been trying quite hard to redevelop the property. According to them, the land is ready to go for development. They have it listed for lease on their site.
It was also previously advertised on Loopnet.
Tropic Star told Sudbury Weekly that in the past several years they have tried to put together deals with:
1) A gas station
2) A quick oil change company
3) A convenience Store
4) A hydrogen refueling station
5) A financial Institution
Below you can see some of the plans that Tropic Star shared with me to confirm they’re actively working to bring something to the site.
The owners cited challenges with the Town of Sudbury as the main reason none of those went through. (More on this below)
In addition, the parcel is rather small, which can create a limited-parking situation and site layout challenges.
This can limit which types of businesses will consider the site depending on the needs of their business. To address this, the owner told us he tried to acquire the land behind his parcel (the Interstate Oil & Gas parcel at 239 Nobscot Rd), as well as attempted to establish an arrangement to use some space on one end of their property for parking. The owners of the adjacent land were not interested in any of the offers according to Tropic Star.
The latest deal the owner has put together involves a financial institution that he says is eager to set up shop on the land and likes the proximity to Whole Foods.
What can the Town of Sudbury do in a situation like this?
Given that the property is a waste site under the jurisdiction of MA DEP, and it is fully owned by Tropic Star, it appears the Town has limited influence on the situation. We spoke with the Planning Department to get the rest of the story.
They told us that Sudbury’s role is ultimately to review and approve, deny or condition any applications that go before the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Planning Board, among other possible boards depending on the plans and intended uses for the property.
The challenge is the site. It’s zoned as a limited business district. So automotive uses, such as the hydrogen refueling station, would need a use variance. The Town pointed out that this type of thing just comes down to the bylaws. According to Sudbury bylaws, variances and use exceptions need to meet an extremely high threshold of criteria, and a nearly-unanimous vote of the board.
This is also true for something like a financial institution with a drive-through. The Planning Department also pointed out, given the small size and odd shape of the site, a business that needs a certain footprint and parking may end up needing relief from the setback requirements from the roads. They made it clear that a successful outcome depends heavily on the owner’s/businesses ability to present a project that can clear the high bar with various boards.
As for collaboration, the Planning Department cited zoning changes and overlay districts as tools that might give Tropic Star some flexibility in uses and dimension requirements, but those would still go through the appropriate boards. That takes time. For most private businesses, time is money and delays are risk.
Can We Buy Our Way Out of the Upside Down?
Some in Sudbury have suggested the Town should buy the land from the owner, but Tropic Star was clear to Sudbury Weekly that they are not interested in selling, because that’s not how their business works. They also confirmed that a representative of the Town had informally approached them years ago about possibly acquiring the property and they were not interested at that time either. (We were unable to verify this information with the Town.)
With planning for the southern portion of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in the works (see the Select Board update above), the location of this site may give it the advantage of capturing a type of pedestrian foot/bike traffic that Sudbury has never really had before. So the Town may have some ability to support or incentivize development of the site via place-making investments in that area. The Planning Department confirmed they’ve considered this property in relation to the BFRT route across the street, though that’s just one of many adjacent areas along the BFRT that they need to think through over time.
Notably, the Town has neither an Economic Development Committee (disbanded in 2008) nor an Economic Development Director on staff. That makes it tough to get proactive in building relationships with businesses that might be interested in a collaboration with certain property owners. The Planning Department also pointed out that economic development efforts often have low odds of success, largely due to the complexity of such initiatives and the number of private parties involved.
So what happens now?
Tropic Star stated quite clearly that they’re motivated to do something with the property: “We would love to get something done in Sudbury and clean the aesthetics of the property up.” They also told us that the current deal they are trying to put together with a financial institution is probably the last effort they’ll make for the foreseeable future.
For something to actually happen, they need a willing business partner and the necessary approvals from the Town. They may also need collaboration from adjacent property owners depending on the needs of a business considering the site. Notably, Tropic Star also pointed out that the speed of approvals from the Town have a big impact on whether or not a deal can get done.
So there you have it. It’s complicated, it involves multiple private property owners, multiple private businesses and multiple Town Boards and departments. Any real change is likely subject to the successful collaboration of several of those parties. That may be an unsatisfying answer for some, but it’s a consistent response from everyone we contacted with knowledge of the situation.
Finally, we will be reaching out to the DPW to verify if there is an intricate set of tunnels underneath Sudbury that provide shelter for an evil clown. Stay tuned for more on that story…
[Feature image: Google Maps]