MEETING MATTERS
WESTMINSTER BOARD OF SELECTMEN TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2008
Compiled by Nicole Boucher Journal Correspondent

Top Story:

Princeton Town Administrator Dennis Rindone met with Westminster Selectmen on Tuesday, March 25, to continue discussions on the Route 140 improvement project, which had started last September.

At that time, a regional meeting with Westminster, Sterling and Princeton was held to discuss the need for safety improvements to Route 140, and it was proposed that there was a need for officials to work together and form a Route 140 Safety Improvement Task Force Project.

Rindone asked the board if it would consider placing four members on the task force, consisting of a selectman, one person with road construction experience, a citizen who lives on Route 140, and an alternate member who would preferable also be a citizen who lives on the road.

The smallest part of the section of road being considered for repair is in Westminster.

The concerns are for improved safety for the traveling commuters and the residents along Route 140. Officials in all three of the towns say they would like to build a consensus with the Montachusett Planning Council and the Massachusetts Highway Department.

The goal is to complete the formation of the Task Force by mid-to-late April, and for the group to begin meeting and trying to get Massachusetts Highway Department to fund a corridor study.

In Other News:

• Town Planner Alicia Altieri presented six zoning articles for the Annual Town Meeting to Selectmen. The articles had been discussed at the Planning Board's public hearing the night before.

The first article would be an amendment to parking requirements, which permits offices in residences, to reduce the number of spots from three to one spot for nonresident employees.

"It just corrects the error in the schedule," Altieri said. The second article would develop Chapter 43D priority development sites. There are three priority development site areas being considered, including three parcels of equity industrial land, which is where Tyco/SimplexGrinnell is located, a piece of town-owned land on Fitchburg Road/Route 31, and undeveloped industrial land in Westminster Business Park.

Chapter 43D is an agreement with the state that if all of the local permits, with the exception of building permits, are approved within 180 days of submission of an application by a developer, the town can access a technical assistance grant up to $100,000. If the town does not make a decision within those 180 days, then it defaults to an automatic approval. The advantages to this proposal are that it attracts industry and lends to marketing advantages with on-line access to the properties.

"It is pro-active planning for economic development to promote sites, creating jobs, providing income. We will do our part and the state will help out," Altieri said.

The other three articles on the warrant would change some of the zoning in the center of town and would allow mixed-used buildings such as those where a business owner may live above his store.

Town officials agreed to remove the sixth zoning article from the warrant, which would have amended the earth removal bylaw.

"Because of how far we are in the season and how far we are not in the season, my opinion would be to bring this up next year," Chairman John Fairbanks said.

• Fire Chief Brenton MacAloney proposed that an emergency medical service zone plan be established with the town because there are requirements by the state Department of Public Health that communities make a benchmark response time.

MacAloney proposed seven minutes because usually they respond in three or four and this leaves a small window to ensure accuracy. The motion was made, voted on and approved to accept this proposal.

• Janet Morrison, an attorney from North County Land Trust, requested $60,000 for the Forest Legacy project, which is organized to protect the Mid-State Trail Corridor. The town has funded different parts of this project of a number of years.

The money is needed for surveys, title examination and to purchase land. She said that the land will continue to be taxed and used as is. There are 13 parcels of land involved with this conservation project.

"There is light at the end of the tunnel," Morrison said. Meaning another article should not be seen for this project before 2010. She is requesting that the town submit a self-help conservation partnership grant to the state.

"Unfortunately, in land conservation we need to spend money before we can get money for a grant," she said.

If the money is not appropriated this year then the town will no longer be eligible for the million dollar grant.

• Police Chief Salvatore Albert was at the Selectman's meeting as well, with an article proposing an adjusted budget of approximately $10,000 for gas and utilities. Selectmen Chairman John Fairbanks said, "It makes sense to do that for one year, until we are more confident of a number."