Medeiros Farm Purchase Price Questioned

The $2 million price for the purchase of the 40 acre Medeiros Farm was questioned by Seekonk Select Board member Elizabeth Elmasian at the August 19 meeting.

Elmasian cited an October 19, 2021 e-mail from Community Preservation Committee Chairman John Alves to members of the committee.

“We discussed a $2,000,000 potential price with Paul and Connie (Medeiros) plus the fact that it could be lower depending on final appraisal,” Alves wrote, noting Paul Medeiros “indicated we’re about $1,500,000 off the mark.”

“In this, (Alves) is asking if the town can pay $1.5 million more for the property,” Elmasian said.

Elmasian was responding to comments made by Anne Miller, a resident who has been critical of the way Elmasian and member Robert Archambault voted on a design contract for the Medeiros Farm project, which is now stalled.

Alves dismissed Elmasian’s allegations at the September 2 meeting, noting two other developers had offered Paul Medeiros $3.5 million for the property. Alves insisted the offer made was $2 million.

“You are wasting my money by shutting down the design study appropriated by town meeting,” Miller said at the board’s August 5 meeting.

At the May 2023 Town Meeting, voters authorized the spending of $150,000 from the Community Preservation Fund to hire a consultant to develop a master plan for the Medeiros Farm. A seven member committee was later appointed to oversee the project. 

At the June 24 meeting, in a 3 to 2 decision, the board rejected a bid award for designer services to CHA Consulting for $549,450.

Christopher Zorra and Michael Healy were in favor, with Chairperson Gary Sagar, Elmasian, and Archambault in opposition. 

The board voted to conduct a traffic study before proceeding with any expenditures for the project. 

“Did you see the contract that we were supposed to sign?, Elmasian said to Miller. “It had no numbers in it. We didn’t get any supporting documents. That’s the reason why that contract wasn’t signed.” 

The Medeiros Farm project has been plagued by controversy for over a year. Residents on Elm and Lincoln streets objected to multiple soccer fields being placed in their neighborhood. Two citizens’ petition articles were placed on the November 2025 Town Meeting warrant. One was to rescind $825,000 in funding already appropriated for the project. The other was to rescind the appointment of the Medeiros Farm Committee. Both articles failed.

Town Administrator Shawn Cadime noted the continued series of criticisms was “extremely negative and is not what this town needs.”

“I understand there are people for this project and there are people against this project. I appreciate the concerns that residents have for the quality of life. We’re going to have to strike the balance. At the end of the day, town meeting has voted on this and until I’m directed not to proceed with this, I’ve got to proceed with it.” 

“I don’t think anybody in this town or at this table is against wanting the recreational space,” Elmasian added. “I think the problem is the number of fields and the make up of the project itself.”