Selectmen support benches for Town Common
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Westminster Selectmen made two decisions on Wednesday, Jan. 30, trying to resolve the extended debate of whether to put memorial benches on the Town Common.

The Selectmen Nick Hay and John Fairbanks first announced they agreed to stand by a decision they made in June 2007 to allow the Jones family to place memorial benches along the edge of the Common in memory of their late son.

"We've publicly apologized to the Historical Commission for not going in the right direction but we already have granted permission for the benches," Hay said.

First Lt. Ryan Patrick Jones was killed in Iraq, by a roadside bomb, in May 2007.

Hay and Fairbanks told the Jones family to come back with an exact plan for the benches with locations measured and the exact plan for under the gravel. They said they would not support a pathway around the Common connecting the benches and lights.

After selectmen had granted permission for the benches to be placed on the Town Common, the Historical Commission expressed concern, saying the Common should remain a completely open spot. Although they do not have authority to prohibit it, they asked that the benches not be placed there.

Fairbanks had told the Commission and the Jones family to meet during the month of January to reach a common agreement for the benches after months of discussion between the three parties.

The Commission did not attend Wednesday's meeting but they submitted a letter to Selectmen after meeting with the Jones family on Monday, Jan. 28.

"The commission members discussed, at length, the several locations, including the town owned field next to the Azarian Barn (near the Town Common), as an alternate for the Jones' Memorial," states the Commission's letter. "Commission members also discussed that memorial benches could be placed in compliment to each Town War Veterans monument along Main Street.

"Again we must reiterate that the Historical Commission is charged by the state and the town to preserve the Town Common as to stands, today," states the letter.

It goes on to state, "The Town Common is the centerpiece of historic open space in our valuable Historic District. It should remain open and accessible to all town residents."

Selectman Thomas O'Toole was not at the meeting.

The two Selectmen also voted to establish a committee to recommend guidelines for any and all future memorials to Westminster citizens. The committee was recommended by the Historical Commission in their letter to the Selectmen.

Fairbanks said these guidelines could be used by Selectmen in the future to avoid conflicts like that which has happened in the last few weeks.

In other business:

• Selectmen voted 2-0 to allow the 250th Anniversary Committee to put banners up from after Memorial Day 2009 through October 2009. The banners will celebrate the anniversary and will be sponsored by local business.

Fairbanks reminded the committee they needed permission from the electric company, which owns the poles in town.

• Selectmen gave the developers of the Westminster Business Park a one-month extension of their earth removal hearing, after the developers said they were not ready to present the information at Wednesday's meeting.

Hay and Fairbanks agreed that the developers and the town planner should all be at the board's March 5 meeting for more discussion on the subject. They said if all the information is not ready by that meeting everyone should still be in attendance.

Selectmen have already granted a onemonth extension of the two-year permit. Developers are going to ask for another multi-year permit for the property off Route 2A.