Selectmen admit oversight to Historical Commission
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Historical Commission members asked Selectmen what the process will be for future recommendations on historical significant areas, after expressing dislike of the Selectmen's approval of memorials on the Town Common.

Donna DiRusso, the chairwoman of the Historical Commission, said the town's preservation plan states nothing should be built on the Town Common, which is located on the Academy Hill.

"We don't want anything there," said DiRusso.

Fairbanks said it was the Selectmen who overlooked the Historical Commission and its role in reviewing projects like the request. This summer, requests were made by Elaine Jones to put memorial benches on the Common for her son - an Army solider killed in action this year - and the request by the Rotary Club to put the Veterans Memorial Garden on the Common.

"We made a mistake," Fairbanks said repeatedly during the early part of the meeting.

Fairbanks said the Selectmen do not want to completely backtrack on their word, but "we're looking for some common ground that everyone can live with."

"We realize we've sort of opened Pandora's Box, and the problem is once you open it you can't really close it," he said.

Fairbanks said the best way to make sure everyone is "the same amount of unhappy and happy" is to have joint meeting.

DiRusso asked what the role of the commission would be at that meeting. Fairbanks said it would be to advise his board.

"It's our job, then, to straight this out," he said. "What the final outcome of this will be, I don't have any preconceived notations."

All of the interested parties have been invited to a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Fairbanks said one of selectmen's goals is to place the chairpersons of each committee on an e-mail distribution list with their agendas, so that boards can attend meetings where they are interested in the subject matter.

In other business:

• Selectmen approved the earth removal permit for Fitchburg Welding after accepting engineer Chris Mossman's recommendation of a $10,400 performance bond. The permit will limit removal from the site on Depot Road, near Route 2, to the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and prohibits removal on the weekend or legal holidays.

• Selectmen approved the use of the buildings at 69 West Main St. for police and fire training exercises that do not damage the building. They also agreed to also ask the Historical Society to review the contents of the building to determine if they want to keep anything, and asked the Historical Commission to determine if they wanted to express a desire to preserve the building. Selectmen plan on using the land for a senior housing complex and a senior center.

• Selectmen voted to accept a new amendment and renewal to the landfill agreement with Fitchburg pending the Board of Health's review.

• Selectmen voted to sell Forestry 2 to Steven Glover, of Westminster, for $550, which was the highest of three legal bids received by the town. They also voted to purchase the new pumper for $168,185.