Town meeting zoning change clears path for Topgolf

By Mike Berger

With a unanimous vote at Wednesday night’s annual town meeting, Canton voters authorized a rezoning of the former Cumberland Farms property on Dedham Street, paving the way for the development of a Topgolf entertainment and restaurant venue that would add significant revenue to the town’s tax roll.

Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen with support from the Planning Board and Finance Committee, the article establishes a new Limited Industrial C District and applies it to the 10.6-acre property at 777 Dedham Street, located near the new I-95 northbound off-ramp that is under construction. The zoning amendment was drafted specifically with the Topgolf proposal in mind and includes changes that would be needed to accommodate an indoor/outdoor golf facility, such as allowances for driving ranges outside of an enclosed structure and height increases for “catch” netting and associated support poles.

The site at 777 Dedham Street has been designated for priority development by the town but has remained vacant since Cumberland Farms relocated its headquarters to Framingham in 2009.

Dallas-based Topgolf builds and operates premier golf entertainment complexes which include a driving range and related teaching facilities as well as an indoor and outdoor café/bar and grill. There are currently more than 30 Topgolf locations in operation nationwide, although Canton would be the first in the six-state New England region.

Topgolf officials outlined their plans to selectmen prior to town meeting, and according to Attorney Tim Sullivan, the project would benefit the town economically through increased property tax revenues, local meals taxes, and employment opportunities for residents.

Selectmen Chairman John Connolly summed up the potential of the article as a “hole in one,” noting that it will help to transform an “eyesore” while generating significant tax revenues for the town. The site, as it stands, generates $110,000 annually in property taxes, but that figure would balloon to $800,000 once the $30 million project is completed, making it the fifth largest taxpayer in the town.

Sullivan projected that Topgolf could be operational within 16 to 18 months. The developer would also have to secure a special permit from the zoning board; however, the process would be expedited due to the property’s status as a Chapter 43D Priority Development Site.

In other news from Wednesday’s town meeting, voters approved a series of Planning Board-sponsored zoning articles designed to modernize and simplify the rules governing hotels. One article eliminated the Hotel Overlay District and instead makes hotels allowable in all non-residential zones with a special permit. Another article eliminated the 10-acre requirement for the development of hotels in Limited Industrial zones and replaced it with a two-acre requirement in all non-residential zones.

Also on Wednesday, voters approved an FY19 operating budget of $92.3 million. Recommended by the FinCom, the budget includes a 5.4 percent increase for the School Department and a 4.8 percent increase for the municipal departments. The school budget was supplemented with $500,000 in unused levy capacity, plus another $700,000 from free cash reserves to help offset higher than anticipated special education costs.

Other articles approved on Wednesday include Article 17, which authorizes a transfer of $500,000 from free cash into the town’s Stabilization Fund — a fiscally prudent move that strengthens Canton’s position with the bond rating agencies — and Article 25, which authorizes a $30,000 free cash transfer to acquire land and easements in order to repair Old Shepard Pond Dam.

One zoning proposal that did not receive the necessary two-thirds approval was Article 53, which would have made side-yard width requirements consistent between LI districts and Industrial districts in cases where buildings exceed the standard maximum height of 40 feet. Currently, builders can only go beyond 40 feet in height in LI districts with a side-yard width of 60 feet whereas the requirement in Industrial districts is 25 feet.

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