Hanson Green-Lights Long-Awaited Hubble Conservation Purchase, Reverses Course on Affordable Housing Buyout

HANSON — July 7, 2026 — In a landmark session, the Hanson Select Board finalized the long-delayed purchase of 45 acres of conservation land off Hawks Avenue, bringing a years-long negotiation to a successful close. In a busy evening, the Board also voted to rescind a previous decision to exercise its right of first refusal on an affordable condominium unit at Dunham Farms, allowing it to remain on the private affordable market instead. Additionally, the Board engaged in a heated debate regarding the Whitman-Hanson school funding agreement, with members strongly expressing their frustration over the town being treated as a “cash cow”.

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The meeting opened with a major breakthrough on the Hubble land acquisition. Town Administrator Lisa Green announced that after nearly three years of hovering in administrative purgatory, a purchase and sale agreement has been signed with Hubble Distribution, Inc. The town will purchase approximately 45 acres off Hawks Avenue for $117,500 using funds authorized under Article 17 of the October 2024 Special Town Meeting.

While Select Board Member Frank Milisi raised concerns about potential soil contamination based on past municipal land purchases, Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett and Town Administrator Green clarified that the plot is entirely wooded, clean, and far removed from the primary historical manufacturing site. The property will be held in perpetuity under the care and control of the Hanson Conservation Commission, with closing finalized on July 15, 2026.

“This has been a purchase that has been hovering in the office for at least two and a half to three years in the making... Come July 15th, we are good, ready to go, and July 16th, we’ll record and own the property finally.” — [[27:08]] Lisa Green, Town Administrator