Westborough trust votes to exercise purchase option and appropriate $215,600 for 1012 Bradish Lane

The Westborough Affordable Housing Trust voted unanimously on Nov. 14 to recommend that the town exercise its purchase option for 1012 Bradish Lane and to appropriate $215,600 and related fees to buy the property. The action was taken under the Local Initiative Program (LIP) deed rider that protects the unit as affordable in perpetuity.

Why it matters: The Trust said exercising the option would preserve the unit as an affordable home tied to the Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) and allow the town to relist the property if an eligible buyer cannot be found within the seller’s 90‑day marketing window.

What Trustees said: Speaker 4, a member of the Westborough Affordable Housing Trust, moved that the trust, “acting as an agent for the town, exercise the town's purchase option for the property at 1012 Bradish Lane” citing the LIP deed rider and the registry recording. The motion to appropriate funds was also moved by Speaker 4 and seconded; both motions passed unanimously with six trustees present.

Follow-up and conditions: Trustees asked staff to verify whether the property is owner‑occupied and directed Kristen to contact the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to confirm occupancy status and the monitoring agent’s records. Trustees also asked staff to consult the town assessor about an apparent discrepancy between the assessor’s value and the LIP maximum resale price, and to report findings back to the trust.

Legal/administrative context: The purchase option and funding authority cited the LIP affordable housing deed rider dated Jan. 31, 2017, and recorded at the Worcester Registry of Deeds; EOHLC (formerly DHCD’s housing division) is the monitoring agent in the deed rider language.

Next steps: Staff will contact EOHLC and the town assessor and report back to the trust; the select board will likely need to take subsequent action related to appropriation and purchase.