Bradley and state Senator Robert Hedlund cosponsored legislation a year ago that gave the town of Hull permission to lease the land to a private developer. The goal was to preserve the site’s beauty and historic character while bringing economic stimulus to the area and financial benefits to the town.
A town committee has been working since then to get community input and iron out details of a request for proposals from developers. Selectmen are expected to vote on the wording this week, and officials say they could see proposals by the fall.
“It’s been a little bit like raking water up a hill, but I think we’re finally getting somewhere,’’ said Bradley, who has been frustrated by the pace of the process.
Town Planner Robert Fultz defended the timetable, saying it is important to reach out to residents and build community support. He said developers also benefit by getting a good sense of what’s acceptable to Hull.
“We had three community workshops to see what [people] want to see there, and the community was supportive of mixed-use development - commercial, residential, and government [use],’’ Fultz said. “They want “something that would be market viable, but protect the town’s historic character and the environment.’’
Any project also would have to benefit the town financially, Fultz said.
Although the state Department of Conservation and Recreation would maintain ownership of the land, the town could tax anything built there, as well as collect its share of restaurant and hotel taxes, he said. Development also would provide jobs and stimulate the local economy, he said.
Developers under consideration “would be required to submit a fiscal impact analysis, to make sure the bottom line for the town would be in the black,’’ he said.
Fultz added that the town hasn’t determined a price for the lease; that would be part of the developer’s proposal.
