ATHOL — Negotiations that began last July concluded when members of the Athol Selectboard and officials with the New England Equestrian Center at Athol inked a 99-year lease for two parcels of land off New Sherborn Road totaling more than 220 acres. The pact was signed after it was approved unanimously at the board meeting on Tuesday, March 15.
Addressing NEECA President Caroline Mansfield and Vice President Sue Ellen Mowcomber, Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said, “I know you don’t like me to put you on the spot, by having a vested interest now, just give the community what it opens up in terms of some of your ideas and plans for development, and grants that you wouldn’t be able to get but now can.”
“We had a meeting a couple of weeks ago about our longer term goals,” Mowcomber replied, “so, within two to five years, we’re looking to get several grants to open up the trails, matched with trail systems in Petersham, and other trails in Athol.
“That will bring more people to the area because one of our limitations right now in attracting horse people who are trail-riding — we don’t have enough trails to make it worth their drive.”
She added that another goal is development of a source of water for both consumption and sanitary facilities. The municipal water and sewer systems do not extend to the location of the center.
“Our long-term goal,” Mowcomber continued, “is to get an indoor arena at the park. It’s a very big expenditure; we’re looking at a million dollars, probably. And we can’t raise that with just funds from our events. We’ve got to go out to commercial people to get backing for that. And without the lease, nobody’s going to give us that money.”
Earlier in the meeting, the board approved a one-day event license for the Athol Area YMCA and NEECA to hold a triathlon on June 11 which included horseback riding, a 10K run and a bike ride.
“We have people coming from Connecticut, from Boston, Natick, Brighton — from all over, coming to Athol for events like that,” said Mowcomber.
“We actually have over 30 events like that coming up there this year,” added Mansfield. “We’re doing the ASPCA large animal rescue thing and we have 80 people signed up for that from New York state, Connecticut, Rhode Island, the Boston area.
“We have three other organizations renting the facility this year, which is a first. We have about six other events up there from other organizations. We’re coming out of two years of the pandemic and we’re kind of ready to roll — things are falling into place.”
Mansfield said while the main goal is construction of the indoor arena, a number of smaller projects are also in the works.
NEECA will pay the town $100 per year. If the center generates between $30,000 and $99,999 in any given year, five percent of those revenues will be paid to the town. The town stands to receive 10 percent if the center brings in $100,000 or more “in any tax reporting year,” according to the lease.
In December, NEECA gave the town a check for $4,000, the final payment on a 12-year, $45,000 loan secured by the town for the purchase of Elwin Bacon Way, an unpaved stretch of road that extends about three-quarters of a mile from New Sherborn Road into the equestrian center. The payment retired the loan a year early.
The road was created in order to replace what amounted to little more than a cart path that entered the property from a bit farther north on New Sherborn Road. The road was named for Elwin Bacon, a major force behind the founding of the organization.
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com