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TL;DR

After limited public discussion, the Town filed a lawsuit against the Westwood Land Trust over Clapboardtree Meadow and declined a donor offer to repurchase the land. Many residents were unaware of these decisions until months later and have been unable to get clear explanations. After other avenues failed, residents used a Citizens’ Petition to call a Special Town Meeting to ensure transparency, public discussion, and accountability around decisions involving public land, public funds, and public trust.

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Have time? Please read! (The Longer Take)

We are a group of concerned citizens who are deeply committed to democratic principles of government. We have no affiliation with the Westwood Land Trust.  We believe that citizens have the right to participate in decision-making, elected officials are accountable to the public, and the government must act in the best interest of all people, not just a select few.

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The Citizens’ Petition to call a Special Town Meeting was not our first choice. It was used after many residents pointed to a lack of information and public discussion about several significant Town decisions.

Last July, the Town filed a lawsuit against the Westwood Land Trust over land use at Clapboardtree Meadow. The complaint was not posted on the Town website until October. Many residents were unaware of the lawsuit, the underlying dispute, or the Town’s rejection of the donors’ offer to repurchase the land until media coverage and yard signs appeared.

As residents learned more, many asked: Why was litigation chosen? What public interest is being served? What are the expected costs and risks? Why was the donors’ offer to buy back the land declined?

Despite repeated efforts to raise these questions through public comment and other channels, opportunities for discussion were limited. The Select Board claims it cannot address these matters due to the ongoing lawsuit.

Many residents remain unconvinced that sharing a general public-interest rationale would undermine the Town’s legal position. At the same time, Select Board meetings have continued to be held 100% virtually, with limited public comment and no responses to questions during meetings.

With other avenues exhausted, residents turned to a Citizens’ Petition—an option provided under Massachusetts law—to ensure public discussion and transparency. The petition received over 350 signatures, 60% more than required, in a short period of time.

We hope that the Select Board will use this opportunity to change course, to be transparent, and to share with Westwood residents the reasons behind its decision to sue the Land Trust and to reject the Donors’ offer, and to explain to us why these decisions advance our collective best interests as a community, at this time.

The Special Town Meeting creates a public record and allows residents to express their views. We believe this forum is a more constructive, less costly, and more community-centered way to address disagreement than prolonged, expensive litigation.