By JAMES MADDEN
Abutters to the potential “Hollywood of the East” aren’t as excited about a major movie studio coming to Hopkinton as the state and town officials who announced the potential development plan more than a week ago.
There was a definite excitement and enthusiasm at the State House on Feb. 7 when House Speaker William J. Murphy and Hopkinton Town Council President Vincenzo Cordone announced that the California-based Pacifica Ventures LLC were building studios in Hopkinton.
However, in talking with some homeowners living in the abutting Lindhbrook condos, some were either unaware of the big news, knew too little to give an informed opinion, or were dead set against the studio development. Some who opposed recalled when a racetrack was proposed on the same land a couple of years ago.
There are two condo associations that make up Lindhbrook condos, which are located on small dead end streets off of Palmer Circle and which surround the neighboring Lindhbrook Country Club. Martin Grossmueller lives on one of those small streets called Heather Lane, and he’s the President of the Lindhbrook Green Condo Association.
“We’ve tried to get in contact with the developer so that we can have a meeting to discuss the impact of the development, but he hasn’t contacted us,” Grossmueller said. “Our biggest concern is where the aquifer sits, and who has rights to it.”
Lindhbrook Golf Course is one of the abutting properties that Pacifica Ventures developer Hal Katersky is still interested in purchasing. Despite a shared name, the condo associations and the golf club are two separate operations, and the golf club charges the condo associations for water utilities.
Grossmueller said he’s also concerned about increased traffic and noise, but until Pacific Ventures gives a more detailed plan of the potential impact to abutters, he reserved his opinion. As condo association President, Grossmueller said hasn’t received any feedback about the proposed project from any condo owners.
Grossmueller also said, “My son is a cinematographer in California, so I might be a little biased.” Mike Grimley lives on Fairway Circle, which is where the newer Lindhbrook condos are located. He’s the president of the other condo association called North Gardens at Lindhbrook.
“The golf course owner is our water supplier,” Grimley said. “If they decide to buy out the golf course, what are they going to do with the water?”
Along with increasing the town’s current $1 billion dollar tax base by about 10 percent, state and local officials have said the studio would be good for Hopkinton because it would bring in money and jobs.
Grimley said, “Generally, I know Hopkinton wants businesses to come in.” However, he was pessimistic about whether jobs and money would automatically come to Hopkinton.
Grimley was mindful of reports he read about developer Hal Katersky defaulting on a multimillion-dollar lease on a failed technology start-up company in New Orleans, that also promised to provide jobs for the area.
There are also reports that in California, Katersky is in the midst of defending himself in a fraud lawsuit for misspending $1 million while managing another Hollywood studio.
What Abutters Are Saying
“I just know the story from what I’ve read in the papers,” one Fairway Circle resident said. “We’re on the fence about it… My only concern is the style of living we’re accustomed to, and whether or not the property values would go down.”
Monday was the first time Madhu Kandadai heard about a movie studio coming to Hopkinton. She and her family moved from California into a Lindhbrook condo on Woodlawn Circle in 2004.
“I don’t mind a studio, but I’m going to have think about what it’d be like having one near my home,” Kandadai said. “Anything that will help lower taxes, which are ridiculous here.”
Al Charbonneau’s two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo is next to the ninth hole of the Lindhbrook Country Club.
Like he did with the racetrack, Charbonneau said he and other condo owners would oppose a movie studio, by imploring town’s planning board and town council to reject the proposal.
Charbonneau hadn’t yet heard about the movie studio proposal and said, “Most people around here would oppose it, or they’d move out.”
Charbonneau said the last time someone sold a Lindhbrook condo they got about $285,000.
A single-family homeowner on Palmer Circle, opposite the Fairway Circle condos, said Pacifica Ventures approached them about eight months ago with an offer to buy their property.
The resident said they signed a contract that expires May 2008 and gives Pacifica Ventures that amount of time to work out a deal with the town and the state.
Because the resident has signed a contract with the studio they said they couldn’t give their name or talk in great length.
The resident said if they got a good deal for their property, they’d likely stay in Hopkinton, and that the prospect of a studio coming to Hopkinton is a good thing that will bring jobs to the area.
It’s been reported that farmer George Reynolds, who owns a large chunk of the land where the studio is being proposed has also signed a contract optioning his property to Pacifica Ventures.
A family member speaking for Reynolds said he had “no comment” if anyone called inquiring about the subject.
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