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Date: 10/12/2022
HARDWICK – A two-night public hearing on a potential agritourism destination at 228 Barre Rd. attracted over 50 residents with one common theme: acquiring answers.
On Oct. 3 and 4, the informational session and continued hearing took place at Hardwick Elementary School. Town Clerk Ryan Witkos moderated the meetings and asked everyone to limit their comments to less than 60 seconds.
At the Oct. 3 meeting, John Stefanini of Great Meadowbrook Farm explained that they are proposing to breed, train and race thoroughbred horses on their 359 acres of Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) land. He said they have entered into a purchase and sales agreement that provides them with time to go through the permit process and have these types of discussions.
Richard Fields, Farm Aid board member, horse enthusiast, rancher and resort developer of Great Meadowbrook Farm, added that they are proposing to build a grass track on the farm. He said they’re anticipating having their first weekend race next September if they’re approved on time. “We’re looking at never operating more than six weekends a year. Most likely because of the lack of horses now in the United States,” he shared.
Fields continued, “The commonwealth has recently passed legislation allowing for sports betting and mobile sports betting is now in almost every state.” He noted that this is currently the most successful type of betting there is, however, it will not be allowed in Hardwick.
Owner and horse breeder at Great Meadowbrook Farm Robin Kalaidjian said, “Hardwick is a beautiful town and I envision it to be the perfect setting for breeding horses and training horses.”
Gregory Haas, principal at David Shores Architects, explained that he has been working with the crew from Great Meadowbrook Farm for several months on this project. Through a projected image on the wall, Haas shared that the photo of the land is simply a “concept.” He noted that there are a lot of details that will need to be worked out over time, but this is an indication of what they’re looking to do.
As the proposal is on APR land, Haas said they are looking to preserve the “beauty” and “uniqueness” that the property offers.
Haas went on to walk attendees through the photo and break down their proposal in three pieces. The first one, he said, is a breeding program which includes the construction of two barns to the north of Barre Road. The second component of the building they’re proposing is on Upper Church Street. Lastly, he said they would like to build a pavilion to allow for horse activities with the community and for educational purposes.
Haas shared that the existing dairy farm on site is proposed to be reused for horse rehabilitation and therapy. He said they would also like to add a covered riding ring in that area.
“Generally, the site is going to look as it does today with a couple of additional buildings that don’t exist on Upper Church Street,” said Haas. He reiterated that the track will be made of grass, making it difficult to even notice.
During festival days, Haas explained, they would like to bring in temporary facilities such as grandstands, tents and food trucks. Therefore, at the end of the weekend, the land would appear the same.
Stefanini followed by saying they have an annual revenue estimate of $500,000 to Hardwick, which is unrestricted. “Hardwick could use that however they choose to use that. Whatever costs are associated with these events – police details, fireman details, water, cleanup – we would pay for all those costs ourselves,” he noted.
Today, Stefanini said Great Meadowbrook Farm produces about $10,000 in tax renewals to the community.
Adding on to Fields’ previous point, Stefanini expressed that mobile sports betting will not occur here. “This is not a casino. Casino gambling is strictly prohibited by state law, strictly prohibited by the land use and strictly prohibited by your bylaws. That is not part of this conversation,” he said. “We’re talking about putting in two barns, a pavilion and racing next year [for] two days.”
After an overview of the project was provided, several residents made their voices heard by sharing their concerns and asking questions.
Some of those concerns included parking, increased traffic, site licensing and the location itself. Stefanini shared that they did investigate a location in Sturbridge but logistically, it “didn’t compare” to the one in Hardwick.
Many residents asked similar questions or rephrased ones that were already answered, seemingly, in hopes of receiving new information. Due to missing pieces, not all residents’ questions were able to be answered. However, Julie Quink, Board of Selectmen chairman, encouraged residents to reach out to the board and the town administrator with any questions or concerns, anytime.
At 8 p.m., Quink announced that the public hearing was over for the evening and would be continued on Oct. 4.
Exactly 24 hours after the first hearing began, the Board of Selectmen hosted their regular business meeting, allotting the first hour and 15 minutes to the public hearing.
Several of the same residents attended, many of which again raised concerns with questions that had already been answered.
After the public hearing closed, Board of Selectmen member Kelly Kemp said, “After hearing everyone speak for the last two evenings and knowing that there are other meetings that have to take place anyway, that it may behoove us to pause [until our next] meeting in possibly two weeks.” By doing so, she believes they will be able to gather more information and answer questions that remain.
Kemp added, “I think this could really be a good thing for Hardwick. If done correctly, I think these festivals could be great.”
Robert Ruggles, board member, agreed with Kemp. “At this point, I think we need to answer the question that has come up several times about the site licensing. We can’t really make a decision on that right now,” he said.
Regarding the traffic concern, Ruggles shared, he does not see this being addressed until they reach the next step of this process.
As part of this process, Quink explained that the Gaming Commission comes out and does a public session, which they are currently working on scheduling. She noted that residents are welcome to attend to voice their opinions and concerns once more.
In the meantime, she said, “I am also in favor of delaying the vote.”
The Board of Selectmen decided to defer this matter for now. When this topic is going to be discussed again, it will be on the Board of Selectmen’s meeting agenda.