Contributed by Milton Resident Scott McKay, Town Meeting Member Precinct 2.

Town of Milton and Carrick Realty Trust sign a Memorandum of Agreement and a Demolition Agreement for Hendries Site

On December 12, the Town of Milton Board of Selectmen inked the agreements hours after Carrick Realty Trust signed the same. Board of Selectmen Chair Katie Conlon read a prepared statement outlining a short history of the project, the incentives offered Carrick in the agreements, the benefits to the town, and acknowledgements of certain people who made the agreements signing possible.

Incentives to Carrick:

• Milton conveys ownership of the town-owned parcel for $1
• The Town will waive permit fees
• The Town will pay for the cost of MBTA diversion during demolition

Project benefits to the Town:

• Mixed-use development preserves 3,850 sq ft of commercial space in the business district at a gateway to Milton.
• Less density than the permitted 40B project proposed on the site (36 units versus 57 units)
• 4 affordable housing units
• Project will provide 19 daytime publicly shared parking spaces

Economic benefits to the Town:

• Mixed-use development will generate greater tax revenue than the permitted 40B development
• Carrick will pay the cost of demolition of the town-owned portion of the existing building saving the town $317,000 or more in cost.
• Carrick will indemnify the Town for any environmental clean-up obligations at the site.

The Board acknowledged the following individuals in moving forward this mixed-use project. Steve and Jerry Connelly, Annemarie Fagan, Senator Brian Joyce, Town Counsel John Flynn, and especially Alex Whiteside of the Planning Board.

Discussion and/or approval of special permitting for the project is slated to take place at the Planning Board Meeting on January 12, 2017.