With a private developer aiming to build high-density senior housing on the site of the former Hawthorne Country Club, Dartmouth officials are weighing whether the town should step in and purchase the land.

In April 2023, development firm Toll Brothers entered into a $3 million purchase agreement for the 970 Tucker Road property. Toll Brothers’ plan to build affordable housing for residents 55 and older has since stalled amid ongoing delays, including the need for a sewer study. In early May of 2023, just weeks after the initial agreement with Toll Brothers, the vacant country club was destroyed in a fire. 

Despite the setbacks, the project gained traction this summer. At the Monday, July 28 Select Board meeting, town officials announced the state had issued a site eligibility letter for the proposal, and that a comprehensive permit application had been submitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

With the project moving forward, Select Board members agreed to take a look at the $3.1 million state appraisal conducted as part of the site eligibility process and discuss whether the town should try to purchase the land itself.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime investment in the future of Dartmouth,” said Select Board member Stanley Mickelson at the June 30 meeting. “It might not happen again. We’re land poor — there’s no question about it.”

Mickelson pointed to the town’s initial hesitation toward the purchase of Round Hill as a model for investing in Dartmouth’s future. He also emphasized the long-term need for municipal space, such as for the new high school.

Select Board Chair Heidi Silva Brooks said her interest in acquiring the property stems from its environmental value, noting that the site drains into the town’s aquifer. Additionally, high-density developments, like this one, put further strain on the town’s already burdened sewer and water systems.

“This particular piece of property is uniquely situated to those needs,” she said.

Select Board member Shawn McDonald voiced concern over the permitting process itself, noting that the project’s fate now lies in the hands of a three-member Zoning Board. 

He also cautioned that any attempt by the town to buy the land would likely be “significantly higher” than the current appraisal due to the developer’s desire to make a profit.

Board members have previously raised concerns about the proposed project’s potential impact on traffic.

If the town chooses to pursue the property, it will require Town Meeting approval and likely, additional borrowing.

The fire at the property in May 2023 was ruled to be arson in a case that has not been resolved.