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July 26, 2005: Air base plans get the final approval votes Sept. 28, 2004: Tri-Town won’t hire consultant to review plan Sept. 24, 2004 The Patriot Ledger Home Page
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Oct. 1, 2004
Tri-town chairman quits in a huff; then rescindsThe Patriot Ledger The chairman of the board overseeing the redevelopment of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station abruptly quit last night, but said today he had changed his mind and will remain on the board. The move added to the turmoil facing the South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp., which last night accepted a buyout with its embattled executive director, Daniel DeSantis. Board Chairman Robert Lundquist angrily quit last night following several tense exchanges with another board member. “Enjoy yourselves,” Lundquist said as he walked out during the meeting. “I’m done. I’m through.” This morning, however, Lundquist said: “I’ve spent too much time putting too much effort and have too much respect for the people who preceded me on the board to walk away from this and leave the corporation in the lurch. I will do my best to make sure the plan that is put forward (for redeveloping the air base) is the best plan we get.'” Lundquist said this morning he will stay on until Weymouth Mayor David Madden finds a replacement or until the new redevelopment plan is passed by the three towns sometime next spring. Lundquist, who has been on the board since its inception in 1998 and has been its chairman since July, stormed out of Tri-Town’s offices last night after a meeting during which he and board member James Lavin exchanged heated words. The board consists of five members who represent the three towns – Weymouth, Abington and Rockland – that the 1,405-acre former base straddles. Lundquist is one of the two Weymouth appointees. Lundquist said he had no intention of stepping down last night but said his frustrations boiled over. “I just became fed up with the antics of a board member,” he said. That conclusion followed an often contentious meeting during which Lundquist and Lavin argued over several issues, including whether to hire a public relations firm, whether Madden was sticking his nose in Tri-Town’s business and what the job description for the new executive director should be. Directors accepted the resignation of DeSantis, who had been executive director since June 2003. In exchange, DeSantis received a severance package worth about $33,000 that included four months’ salary and 23 hours of sick time. The Ledger had previously reported that DeSantis would receive five months salary and five months benefits. The package will be spread out over the next four months and DeSantis will get his last paycheck in January. DeSantis could not be reached for comment. Actions taken by the boardAt last night’s meeting of the board of directors for South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp., the agency overseeing redevelopment of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station:
Some board members praised DeSantis, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family and was burned out from a year of intense negotiations with the U.S. Navy and master developer Lennar Partners. “I wish Dan all the luck in the world, and I wish his family luck,” Lundquist said. DeSantis, who was on vacation when the long-awaited reuse plan was unveiled last week, had come under fire in recent weeks for failing to pay Tri-Town $5,600 for 14 months of overdue rent for an apartment on the base he lived in three nights a week. An advisory board to the agency also criticized DeSantis in August for spending in the last fiscal year that included almost $1 million in legal fees and almost $3,000 in restaurant tabs. Shortly after accepting DeSantis’ resignation, the board voted to appoint member John Rogers as interim executive director and begin a search for a permanent replacement. Rogers, from Rockland, has been on the board since 1999 and served a seven-month stint as interim director after Kenneth Goff resigned in October 2002 and before DeSantis was hired. “I’ll come in tomorrow and get familiar with all the things on the table,” he said. Rogers, who earlier this year had submitted his resignation before reconsidering, will not be paid for the interim position. Lundquist’s resignation was not planned but the stress apparently had been building. Earlier in the meeting, he compared his full-time job, as a project manager for General Dynamics in Taunton, to his voluntary post with Tri-Town. “My job is my job. It’s what puts bread on the table,” he said. “All this does is put an ulcer in my stomach.” After leaving, Lundquist said he called Madden and resigned. He later returned to Tri-Town’s offices to hand in his keys. Other directors then spent more than an hour trying to convince him to stay. Lundquist declined to say whether he changed his mind or needed to be talked out of quitting. Madden said he welcomed Lundquist remaining on the board until a suitable replacement is named. “I think after a night of reflection, he understands the importance of the next few months of the project,” Madden said. “I think the board has been going through a difficult time.” The turmoil at Tri-Town comes at a crucial time for the base. Lennar presented its reuse plan Sept. 23 that projects building 2,855 homes and condos, creating 2,533 jobs and generating $11.1 million per year for the towns in additional tax revenue by 2017. Tri-Town must now scrutinize the plan and hopes to endorse one by Jan. 1. Then the vote goes to the towns. Two-thirds of the Weymouth Town Council and two-thirds of the town meetings in Abington and Rockland must approve the redevelopment plan for it to pass. Mark Fontecchio may be reached by clicking here.
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MAPS: A before and after look
