Red Gate Farm: Public vs. Private Conservation

Dear Fellow Citizens of Medfield,

My name is Sean McEntee and I am the potential buyer of the Red Gate Farm property that is the subject of the special debt exclusion vote today.  At this point you have likely read lots of different opinions on this subject, and many of you have already made up your minds, so I’m going to keep this short and sweet.  One thing that both sides seem to agree on is that our plan for limited, conservation minded development is a great plan.  We heard this several times from the proponents of buying the land, including Selectman DeSorgher himself, who recently wrote, “from the get-go, myself and the selectmen have had nothing but positive remarks to make about yourself and the proposal you put forth.  If the town did not have this once in a lifetime opportunity to buy the land, we would be singing your praise, as you have worked within the confines of the conservation wishes of the Kenny family”.  As I walked the land with some undecided voters yesterday it hit me that if you set aside all the debate about school children, parking etc., this really boils down to a simple question of Public vs. Private Conservation.

Whether the town buys the land, or we buy the land, the vast majority of it will be preserved, “for all time, for generations to come”.  Our plan accomplishes this via a State Sponsored Conservation Restriction which is in perpetuity.  In this scenario the property will remain Private Property as it is today, owned by the seven homeowners of the Red Gate Lane homeowners association.  The citizens of Medfield will not be able to have a picnic in the hayfields, but they will be able to walk down the beautiful, tree lined country lane, to the new trail which leads up to the Scout land and trails beyond.

So, if you feel like it is a good use of taxpayer money to borrow $1.4M to finance this purchase and make the property fully accessible to the public, then you should vote “YES” today.  If, on the other hand, you feel like our plan accomplishes the important conservation goals and the town has higher priority issues on its plate, then you should vote “NO” today.  In the words of one of the Planning Board members, “either way this is a win – win for Medfield” as the property will remain one of the most beautiful open spaces in Town.

Regards,

Sean McEntee

8 Metacomet Street

sean.mcentee@gmail.com