Framingham Pauses On Buying Belknap Pool Property

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham will hold off on buying the former Belknap Pool and Tennis Club following concern among City Councilors that there's no specific plan on what to do with the six-acre property.

Vice Chair Adam Steiner on Tuesday asked the Council to approve spending about $362,000 from free cash for the purchase. The bulk of that would be spent on the actual purchase, plus about $30,000 to fix fencing and secure the abandoned pool.

City officials had hoped the property could be used for open space, as a summer camp or as a place for the Framingham High School swim team to practice. However, the pool would cost about $2 million to refurbish, and the facility likely wouldn't meet the needs of the team, according to notes from a meeting about Belknap between city, parks and school officials.

But other parts of Belknap may be useable, according to the meeting notes. The tennis courts could be handed over to the high school team, whose own facilities on school grounds are in need of repair. Other ideas include a ropes course, community gardens and renting out the property to a private company to operate a camp — similar to the Sewataro Property in Sudbury.

Ultimately, parks, schools and city officials concluded the public should be brought in to discuss ideas. That lack of specificity led some Councilors to conclude the city shouldn't make the purchase without a plan in place.

"I see this as just remaining as an abandoned parcel into the future," District 8 Councilor John Stefanini said. "I'd love to know why should we proceed on this?"

Steiner countered that local residents already use the Belknap site for walking. The facility at at 351 Belknap Road opened in the late 1950s and was operated by the Framingham Swimming Pool Association. Belknap closed in 2018, however, after declining membership.

A property developer had wanted to buy the site, but Framingham has the right of first refusal on the sale. Officials have said the site could potentially hold two homes.

The Council voted 7 to 4 to table the purchase, with Steiner, Chair George King, District 5 Councilor Robert Case and District 9 Councilor Tracey Bryant voting no. The purchase was previously approved unanimously in the Council's Finance Subcommittee.

Steiner said the purchase will be back for discussion at the next City Council meeting on July 20. In the meantime, he said the city will research whether the property could be subdivided, similar to the 2019 deal over the John Hemenway House along Pleasant Street.

Related: New Open Space In Framingham: Council Votes To Pursue Belknap