Nahant’s Board of Selectmen decided in executive session Tuesday to reject a proposal by Northeastern University that offered to place a conservation restriction on roughly eight acres of the school’s land at East Point.
In an announcement made public last Friday, Northeastern stated its offer would preserve up to 90 percent of existing open space that the town’s Board of Selectmen previously proposed enacting eminent domain over, as well as grant Nahant an easement to ensure continued public access to Canoe Beach from the adjacent municipal parking area. Both offers would take effect following the completed expansion of the university’s Marine Science Center.
During Tuesday’s meeting, however, Board members argued the proposal would force Nahant to drop its pending litigation and eminent domain enactment in exchange for a “fraction or what the town mainly seeks.”
“We fully agree that it is in the best interests of all parties to negotiate a reasonable, mutually acceptable agreement. However, Northeastern’s conditions do not adequately address the issue central to any proposed expansion, which is the preservation of the wildlife area on top of, and to the East of, the Murphy Battery,” said Board of Selectmen Chair Mark Cullinan. “What’s at stake is preserving land zoned as a Natural Resource district, which is home to over 170 species of migratory birds and other wildlife, and which is considered to be parkland dedicated to the public’s use and enjoyment.”
In 2018, Northeastern — which has operated its Marine Science Center on East Point since it was granted the land by the state in 1966 — announced plans to build a 55,000-square-foot Coastal Sustainability Institute on top of the historic Murphy Battery, which was originally built as part of Boston’s Coastal Defense System and is now used by the school for classes and research.
Northeastern’s future plans include drilling wells in the adjoining valley, constructing additional parking lots, building a pump-house, and expanding its existing seawater intake system.
In addition to the planned conservation restriction and Canoe Beach access easement, Northeastern previously offered the town a multi-million dollar financial package to mitigate impacts the expansion project may have on the town’s infrastructure, help fix the town’s water and sewer system, and assist the town with operating and capital budget needs.
A press release from the school stated that the package also includes tuition scholarships for Nahant residents to attend Northeastern, funding for the town’s elementary school art and music program, scholarships for local elementary and high school students to attend the center’s Coastal Ocean Science Academy summer program, paid summer internships at the Marine Science Center for Nahant students, and free public lectures and films for residents.
Additionally, the university has offered to fund a research program that would help the town develop solutions to combat climate-change related threats, including storm surge and sea level rise.
“We hope everyone will see that there’s an opportunity to preserve a very special part of Nahant at no cost to residents,” said Ralph C. Martin II, senior vice president and general counsel for
Northeastern. “This restriction is completely consistent with our desire to upgrade the Marine Science Center, which is to promote environmental sustainability — in Nahant and beyond.”
However, building atop the Battery and drilling in the valley are at the crux of the disagreement between the university and the town, Cullinan said, which is what ultimately led the Board to reject Northeastern’s proposal.
“Despite the town asking NU to propose a solution on its existing campus which does not destroy the natural habitat above the Battery and the valley beyond, NU has vehemently refused to offer alternatives,” he said. “This has resulted in an impasse and the Board of Selectmen proposing an eminent domain taking of approximately 12 acres of property and environmental easements to ensure the future preservation of the wildlife preserve, as well as continued passive recreation for visitors to East Point.”
The Board also argued that in undertaking an assessment of the cost of expansion, the town believes it will cost taxpayers substantially more than what Northeastern offered, based on the University’s use of infrastructure and municipal services over several years.
“The Selectmen are willing to mediate in an effort to avoid further acrimony and legal expense,” Cullinan said. “A win-win outcome is certainly achievable and we urge Northeastern to join us in making a strong effort to achieve it, not only for the town and Northeastern, but also the public at large and future generations.”
Representatives for Northeastern declined to comment Tuesday evening, citing the need to review the Board’s decision in greater detail.
