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Board changes mind, accepts land gift
By Frank Mortimer
A widow who wanted to donate a 1.3-acre parcel of land on Neponset Reservoir in her late husband’s name convinced the Board of Selectmen Tuesday to reverse its previous rejection of the gift.
The board voted 4-1 to accept the gift during an unscheduled meeting with Doreen Bonacorso, who said her late husband, Frank Bonacorso, had always intended for the town to have the Ridge Road lot.
“Honestly, nobody loved that lake like my husband,” Doreen Bonacorso said.
Earlier in the night, a lawyer representing Bonacorso told the board that if the town does not accept the gift for conservation purposes, she will donate it to some other conservation group.
Selectmen last week voted 3-2 not to accept the parcel, in part because it would mean the town permanently losing $625 in annual property tax.
Selectmen chairman Mark Sullivan, who favored acceptance of the land from the start, said the shoreline land may provide a useful public access to the reservoir.
The Conservation Commission on Dec. 1 voted 5 to 0 to accept the gift, which also needed selectmen’s approval.
Commission chairman Robert Boette joined Doreen Bonacorso this week in urging the town to take the land.
Earlier in the evening, board member Paul Feeney noted that the proposal was not on that night’s agenda and said he wanted more time to review the offer and possibly visit the site before making a decision. Feeney said if the board is forced to immediately reconsider its earlier rejection of the gift, he would vote no.
But Bonacorso said the matter had to be wrapped up right away for her tax purposes.
Selectman Paul Mortenson alone voted not to take the land, saying it was unwise to remove it from the tax rolls.
The board for months has engaged in a wide-ranging discussion concerning gifts of land that mean a loss of tax revenue.
An oft-cited report says about 17 percent of the town’s land is untaxable, a higher percentage than in a number of area communities.
Conservation commission member Judith Johnson on Tuesday gave data challenging that figure as too high.
The board voted 4-1 to accept the gift during an unscheduled meeting with Doreen Bonacorso, who said her late husband, Frank Bonacorso, had always intended for the town to have the Ridge Road lot.
“Honestly, nobody loved that lake like my husband,” Doreen Bonacorso said.
Earlier in the night, a lawyer representing Bonacorso told the board that if the town does not accept the gift for conservation purposes, she will donate it to some other conservation group.
Selectmen last week voted 3-2 not to accept the parcel, in part because it would mean the town permanently losing $625 in annual property tax.
Selectmen chairman Mark Sullivan, who favored acceptance of the land from the start, said the shoreline land may provide a useful public access to the reservoir.
The Conservation Commission on Dec. 1 voted 5 to 0 to accept the gift, which also needed selectmen’s approval.
Commission chairman Robert Boette joined Doreen Bonacorso this week in urging the town to take the land.
Earlier in the evening, board member Paul Feeney noted that the proposal was not on that night’s agenda and said he wanted more time to review the offer and possibly visit the site before making a decision. Feeney said if the board is forced to immediately reconsider its earlier rejection of the gift, he would vote no.
But Bonacorso said the matter had to be wrapped up right away for her tax purposes.
Selectman Paul Mortenson alone voted not to take the land, saying it was unwise to remove it from the tax rolls.
The board for months has engaged in a wide-ranging discussion concerning gifts of land that mean a loss of tax revenue.
An oft-cited report says about 17 percent of the town’s land is untaxable, a higher percentage than in a number of area communities.
Conservation commission member Judith Johnson on Tuesday gave data challenging that figure as too high.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of foxbororeporter.com.
Judi Johnson wrote on Jan 3, 2009 4:40 PM:
" The 17% does not represent the amount of tax exempt land in Foxboro as stated in this article (or conservation land). It is not acres of land but the assessed cash value of the land (which is assigned by the Foxboro Board of Assessors according to the MA Dept of Revenue website). For FY07, the assessed value of taxable land was about 2.7 billion and the assessed value of tax exempt land was about 550 million in Foxboro (for a total of about 3.3 billion). The 550 million (tax exempt land) is 17% of the total (3.3 billion). "
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foxtownie wrote on Jan 1, 2009 9:36 AM: