WILMINGTON, MA — Six-and-a-half hours. 56 articles. Several hundred voters. A brand new Town Moderator. A brand new Wilmington High School auditorium.
Here’s a recap of what went down at Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting.
Yentile Farm Recreational Facility Overwhelmingly Approved
By a 195-to-8 margin, voters approved the $4.8 million price tag to design and construct a recreational facility at Yentile Farm (9 Cross Street).
The facility will include a regulation-sized turf field; an event green for passive recreation, events and family outings; two basketball courts, which double as a street hockey rink; walking paths throughout (totaling ¾ of a mile); a playground area with nature-themed equipment for various age groups; lighting around the field and courts for evening use; game tables for outdoor play; a concession stand; onsite storage for equipment; restrooms; 109 parking spaces; and the opportunity for future connections to the abutting Textron fields and courts.
The design would be completed by November 2015. Construction bids would be due in January 2016. Construction would begin in March 2016. Construction would be complete by June 2017. (Much of the work would be complete by November 2016, but plantings and finishing touches will be applied in the Spring of 2017.)
The facility will be financed with a 15-year bond and will be funded through the town’s operational budget. No tax override or debt exclusion is necessary.
The Yentile Farm Development Committee is hoping to raise $1 million to offset a significant portion of the $4.8 million overall cost.
To that end, voters passed an additional article that will allow the Town, acting through the Committee and subject to the approval of the Town Manager, to sell the naming rights to the fields, play areas, and structure at the Yentile Farm.
Yentile Farm Will Be Named, Well, Yentile Farm
By a 194-to-61 margin, voters approved naming the recreational facility at 9 Cross Street as the “Yentile Farm Recreational Facility.” A preceding motion to postpone the vote a year was defeated, 182 to 63.
“This property has been known as ‘Yentile’s’ or ‘Yentile Farm’ since 1934,” said petitioner Brian Stickney. “The townspeople and surrounding communities have referenced this property as the ‘Yentile Farm’ at every Town Meeting, PowerPoint presentation, video, site plan, newspaper article and event regarding this property and the soon to be built recreational field since its beginning.”
“The Yentile Farm itself, the press coverage and Town proposals have already instilled the Yentile Farm name as the property and recreational project name and continued landmark within the community and surrounding towns,” continued Stickney. “The Yentile Farm name will forever be synonymous with this property.”
The majority of the Yentile Farm Development Committee and several key town officials were against the article.
“I think to limit ourselves today to have to vote on this name is really doing a disservice to the process and the public,” said Ed Riekstins, Yentile Farm Development Committee member and Chair of its Fundraising Subcommittee. “Everything we’ve done to date has been by consensus, open meetings and getting everybody’s input. I just don’t think we have to do this today.”
The Whitefield School To Be Demolished; Butters Farm To Be Sold
By a voice vote, voters approved $150,000 to demolish the Whitefield School Unlike last year, there would be no “one-year stay” this time around.
“We don’t support the demolition of historic buildings,” said Historical Commission Chair Kathleen Black Reynolds.
She did acknowledge, however, that the building is “fairly limited in its use,” particularly since the Selectmen and Finance Committee are not in support of keeping the building for municipal purposes or selling to a developer.
Several voters who spoke on the article were in favor of razing the building.
“The building, in its current condition, has outlived its useful life,” said Selectman Mike Newhouse. “It will cost $3 to $5 million to renovate…. It’s a building that has some sentimental value to the community, but the Board [of Selectmen] recognizes it’s at the end of its useful life. Hopefully we can improve that area and make it a little bit safer for kids who play there.”
Former Town Manager Michael Caira agreed, noting that there are trees growing through the building.
“We need to be realistic. This building is not suitable for reuse and not sensible for renovation,” argued Caira. “The real answer here is to make the area safe, knock the building down, and include that site in the Town Manager’s review of what needs to be done in terms of municipal facilities… Don’t deny the inevitable.”
On a less contentious issue involving another historical building in town, voters approved allowing the Selectmen to sell the Butters Farmhouse, which will be preserved through a preservation restriction. The Historical Commission gave their blessing to the effort.
Voters Send A Message – More Affordable Elderly Housing Is Needed
The surprise of the meeting came when voters overwhelmingly passed an amendment, 122 to 63, to include an examination of the town’s affordable elderly housing needs within the town’s municipal facilities master plan.
“I’ve been in this town since 1964. I noticed we’re spending a very small amount on elderly services considering there must be a tremendous amount of elderly people here,” said resident Arlene Zolondick.
“Is there any chance we will ever put in some affordable housing for seniors, in addition to Deming Way?,” asked Zolondick. “That’s just a question that I think should be raised. We’re doing a lot for the young people – putting in a park, getting an arena, building a nice high school – but it seems like we’re not doing very much for the elderly. They’d like to stay here.”
Former School Committee member Mario Marchese agreed, and later proposed an amendment to study the need for affordable elderly housing in town, tacking it on to the town’s plan to study its existing municipal facilities.
“Let’s put it on the agenda and put it out there. Let’s keep [the issue] it the forefront so we’re thinking about it and planning about it, instead of keep pushing it off… I want to put it on the front stage.”
As resident Karl Sagal noted, “At some point, you have to get the discussion started and this is a way to get the discussion started.”
Selectman Mike McCoy spoke in favor of the amendment.
“At least we’re showing an olive branch to the seniors in this community,” said McCoy. “We’re telling the seniors we care. They voted for a new high school. They voted for the hockey rink. This is so minor… This is a first step. A baby step… Don’t tell our seniors they don’t count.”
Town Manager Jeff Hull, however, spoke out against the amendment.
In response to a question from Finance Committee member William Wallace, Hull noted he wasn’t confident that the budgeted $150,000 would be enough to cover the original scope of the plan, plus affordable elderly housing.
“It’s unfortunate to character my position as anti-senior,” said Hull. That isn’t the case. I’m simply saying I don’t believe we can do both pieces effectively. If we want a facilities plan that will allow us to go forward in a logical way, then the $150,000 should be designed for that purpose. I have serious concern that while there’s no question there’s merit to addressing affordable housing to seniors, to try to meld the two will come back with a subpar product for both. It’s maybe a feel good mechanism, but I don’t think it’s going to help us in the end.”
Selectman Mike Champoux subscribed to the same line of thinking, suggesting an article to begin addressing affordable elderly housing be included in next year’s Town Meeting warrant.
“I agree with the spirit of the amendment, I really do,” said Champoux. “It’s clear there’s a need for increased elderly housing… but trying to glum on to an existing article that has its own intent and focus – to try to achieve that goal is not going to get us to where we want to go for either of those purposes.”
Kevin MacDonald Gets Booted Early
New Town Moderator Robert Peterson Jr., elected just a week before, took a tough stance with Kevin MacDonald, a Town Meeting rabble-rouser. Peterson set the tone early.
“Mr. MacDonald, your dilatory motions are already beginning and we’re only on Article 4,” Peterson told MacDonald. “If you want to stick around this meeting past Article 5, I suggest you rethink every time you come to this microphone.”
During the discussion of the town’s budget, MacDonald broke several of Peterson’s rules. MacDonald seemed confused by the budget vote, asked questions that delved into the operations of town departments, made what were deemed to be off-topic comments, and took a combative, disrespectful tone towards others.
“You’re out,” said Peterson to MacDonald, after a handful of warnings. Many in the crowd applauded while Police Chief Michael Begonis escorted MacDonald out.
None of MacDonald’s warrant articles would be heard later in the meeting, due to a lack of a motion and a second.
Town Gets 99% Of What It Asks For
With the exception of the aforementioned amendment and the naming of the Yentile Farm, all articles brought forward by the town, or supported by the town, were approved.
Approvals included:
- The town’s FY16 budget, totaling $100,525,697.
- Raise a sum of money to operate the Public Rink enterprise
- 5 replacement police cruisers
- 1 heavy duty dump truck with plower and sander for the Highway Division
- 1 ton dump truck with plow for the Highway Division
- 1 heavy duty 1 ton pickup truck to the Parks & Grounds Division
- 1 student transport van
- 1 replacement chiller unit at the Public Safety Building
- $100,000 in a fund for technology improvements
- 1 liquid de-icer truck mounted tank assembly for Public Works Department
- Upgrade to clocks and intercom systems at Wilmington Middle School
- “Fundations” ELA Program for Wilmington Public Elementary Schools
- Math Text Adoption K-5 for the Wilmington Public Elementary Schools
- Drainage improvement projects for Mass Avenue and Cunningham Street
- Conversion from underground fuel tanks to aboveground fuel tanks at Public Works Department
- Partial Roof Replacements of Shawsheen Elementary School and Woburn Street School
- $150,000 in a fund for unexpected improvements to school and municipal facilities
- Replacement of a 30-inch culvert under Butters Row
- Reconstruction of the Shawsheen Elementary School parking lot
- Replacement high efficiency natural gas system at the Shawsheen Elementary School
- Funding for observance of Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day
- Renewal of Veterans of Foreign Wars Clubhouse
- Acceptance of Lt. Buck Drive as a public way
- Several measures to assist more seniors in being eligible for tax deferrals and tax exemptions, plus continuing the Town’s Senior Tax Volunteer Program, with a couple of procedural changes
- Sale of town-owned land on Alder Street
A resident’s continued attempt to amend the town bylaws and add new language to residential fencing section was voted down.
In the closest vote of the afternoon, the rezoning of land on Andover Street, near Foster’s Pond, from Residential 60 to Residential 20, failed with 90 in favor, 55 in opposition. The vote needed a 2/3 majority. Another reminder that every vote counts!
Wilmington Apple 