Littleton Select Board Unanimously Approves MOU Authorizing $9.5 Million Sewer Grant Deal

LITTLETON — June 9, 2023 — Littleton Select Board unanimously authorized its town administrator to sign a $9.5 million MassWorks grant memorandum of understanding with 550 King Street LLC at an emergency Friday session called amid pressure from expiring construction bids. Town Administrator Ryan Ferrara received authority to execute the MOU, which designates the $9.5 million in state grants — an $8 million legislative earmark and a $1.5 million competitive award obtained through developer LaPoli Companies' state relationships — as the last funds drawn for a $47 million sewer expansion, backstopped by a letter of credit from the developer. The meeting was called after LaPoli Companies learned only in the prior 24 hours that it could not directly access the grant funds without first posting that letter of credit, upending arrangements discussed at a regular board meeting four days earlier. Developer Salvatore LaPoli told the board the requirement creates uncertainty about his firm's borrowing capacity for Phase 1 of the 550 King Street development, noting his company's betterment obligation has grown from an original $6 million backstop to approximately $27 million — 62 percent of the total project cost — as construction estimates have more than doubled. Town Counsel Tom Harington proposed, and the board approved, striking the word "all" from a key payment-trigger clause to prevent the town from being obligated to exhaust every non-grant dollar before invoicing the developer. Two sewer construction contracts, each valued just below $20 million, have been held open past their May signing deadline, with LELWD staff warning that further delay risks a 12-to-18-month rebidding process.