The Board of Selectmen in Belmont, Massachusetts -- home of the unfinished basement that Mitt Romney proudly called home -- had a meeting this past Wednesday. As you may already have guessed, this wasn't an ordinary, run-of-the-mill Board of Selectmen meeting. Nay, the agenda included one item so urgent that Tagg Romney, the proud owner of that very same unfinished basement, left his father's campaign to add his voice to the discussion.
The urgent issue at hand was the question of whether the town should sell a 2.5 acre parcel to an out-of-town real estate developer, who planned to construct an 18-bed hospice on the site. This 2.5 acre parcel happens to be on the same road as that unfinished basement. That same road also provides access to the Belmont Country Club, so it's not as if it's unused for any commercial purpose.
Oh, but wait:
The turning point of the meeting occurred with Greensbrook Way resident Tagg Romney expressing the collective zeitgeist saying a hospice will eventually bring down property values "dramatically" in the area and [a]ffecting negatively town tax coffers, noting also that nearly two dozen children under the age of 16 live on his street.
Romney... said the neighborhood has received word that a growing number of residential developers are keen to build on the lots.
"We have been wishing that the town would put the land back out to bid so I or someone else could put homes there," he said, to applause from those attending.
Under pressure, the selectmen decided to offer the land for bid to residential developers. Like Tagg? Not so fast:
Romney said he would not seek to bid on the parcel this time around, rather being happy that any future project will likely be residential.
I guess for Tagg, some things are more important than getting his father elected. Things like defending his property values from dying people, and preserving unfettered access to the country club. But not sullying his hands in real estate development. At least not yet.