Park misses international company
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Selectmen met formally with the representatives of the Westminster Business Park at their meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

The discussion centered on the continuing earth removal process and a review of a recent visit by an international company, whose name no one would release. Town Coordinator Karen Murphy said she'd found out earlier that day the company decided not to build in the park.

Some of Westminster's town officials met with the undisclosed company's representatives, the business park officials, and representatives from state's Business Development Office at the end of September.

"It's definitely put Westminster on the map for the Business Development Office," Murphy said. "What I got out of it was, don't be afraid to think big."

Selectman Chairman John Fairbanks said, "We have a real chance, it's not a pipe dream."

The board discussed the pos- sibility of reducing taxes in a similar manner to which the town has done for SimplexGrinnell. Murphy said had the company moved in under their current plan, the tax revenue would have made up for half of the landfill revenue.

Business park representatives Charles F. Scott Jr. of CFS Engineering, and David Pogorelc, of Core Investments, Inc., said they were going to try to continue to work on the prospective buyer. They also updated the selectmen on some outstanding certifications and paperwork.

They said they plan to have all paperwork field with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office by Nov. 15. He thinks the timeline will have a certificate from MEPA produced by the middle of January.

"That's 99 percent definite," he said.

Scott said the information on nine intersections from Westminster to Fitchburg has been gathered, but it needs to have the final analysis done on it.

"I just want to make sure we are doing our due diligence," Selectman John Fairbanks said. "We need to make sure you're going your due diligence."

The permit for earth removal, which was granted to the business park in July 2005, will expire in the middle of January, so both parties are going to begin the process of extending it.

"We will need to extend that," Scott said.

Donna Brownell, founder of Watchdogs for an Environmental Safe Town, asked a series of questions about the MEPA standings and other environmental effects on the area.

Selectman Nick Hay told the business park representatives to make sure they obeyed permitted hours for trucks entering and exiting the property.

He also asked for clarification about the material that is being brought on to the site and how it is being used.

"It's just a big question around town," Hay said.

He also said that he remembers last year there was a problem with the trucks tracking mud out of the site, so he reminded them to make sure preventative steps were being taken.