Book closed, for now, on library project
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Staff Reporter

Voters at Tuesday's special town meeting withdrew the $670,00 in funding for the library renovation project.

After a nearly 45-minute debate, the re-affirmation of an article passed at the annual town meeting in May failed, meaning the library renovation project was put on hold. Residents voted 209 to 139 in favor of reaffirmation, which did not garner the 232 votes necessary to pass the article.

"I recommend that at this point that you all vote this down," said resident Barbara Friedman.

She also advocated against the money for the renovation project in the spring.

The issue came back to the floor at the special town meeting after bond counsel realized that the capital planning committee did not issue a written opinion on the issue in May.

"This is a technicality," said resident Dan Stango, urging a positive vote. "We've heard about this library ad nauseum."

Resident Preston Baker said the renovation committee should guarantee the plan presented at the annual town meeting will be the one that is used, or that they return in the spring with a plan to fix the exterior with brick. The current plan does not call for the use of brick.

Library Trustee Dana Altobelli said the money was needed to conduct a peer review of the design already submitted to the renovation committee.

Four hundred voters turned out for the meeting, representing 7.5 percent of registered voters.

Voters also rejected a proposal to allow cluster developments around golf courses. The 150-86 vote for the measure failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority.

Resident Ralph Swanson, of Bean Porridge Hill Road, spoke out against the bylaw.

"It seems dedicated to one particular place," Swanson said.

The Barkus family have proposed two different developments alongside their golf course, The Woods of Westminster.

Swanson and others objected to having condos instead of single-family houses, allowing the golf course to count as open space, and the negative impact of cluster developments on local residents.

Proponents said the bylaw would create fewer bedrooms, and allow for guaranteed over-55-housing and affordable housing in the developments.

"It's going to be a good tool," said resident Donna Brownell.

Voters approved the hiring of an additional firefighter as part of Fire Chief Brenton

MacAloney's longterm

plan to staff the d e p a r tme n t with two firefighters around the clock.

"The fire d e p a r tme n t finds itself in the same position it did five years ago with a lack of call firefighters," MacAloney said. "The only way we can do the work is to augment it with full-time people."

The new firefighter will be the sixth fulltime

firefighter not including the chief.

"In no way shape or form are we going to try to get rid of the (the call firefighters) that we have," he said.

Advisory Board member Keith Harding spoke out against the proposal saying the depar tment 's salary line has increased 86 percent over the last four years, while calls only increased 26 percent, population increased 6 percent and inflation rose 12 percent over the same period.

"Why is it costing us a long dollar?" Harding asked.

In other business, voters:

+ Took no action on Article 24, which would have created a zoning change that would allow larger commercial businesses.

"We think more time needs to be given," Selectman Lorraine Emerson said. "We feel like we need to know all the answers to the questions that you have."

+ Overwhelmingly approved $5,100 for three part-time workers at the Crocker Pond Recreation Area. Joe Macchia, the chairman of the Crocker Pond Development Committee, said the workers would be in charge of maintenance jobs like trash pickup and cleaning of the beach and restrooms.

Voters also approved $98,800 for repairs to Crocker Pond.

This is a one-time cost to repair the restrooms and the parking lot, and and regrade the beach, said Macchia.

+ Approved the expenditure of $15,000 to repair the baseball fields and $5,000 to fix the gazebo on Academy Hill.