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A divided TM
fails to rezone Plymouth Rubber
By Mike Berger
Citizen Staff
Town Meeting
voters and elected officials clearly were divided on the
Plymouth Rubber rezoning issue Monday night, dooming the
developer’s plans this year to begin to build 395 condos on the
40-acre property.
A two-thirds
majority of voters was needed to rezone the property from
industrial to mixed use, but after several hours of debate, Town
Moderator Dick Staiti did not see a big enough show of hands as
action on all five articles pertaining to the property were
indefinitely postponed.
Rick
Brandstatter of Napleton said after Monday night’s meeting that
their next step will now be to look for industrial tenants for
the property, such as manufacturers and warehouses. “The town
has spoken very clearly,” he said.
The final
covenant submitted to town officials called for 395 condominiums
(mostly one- and two-bedroom units), including a stipulation
that all units would be owner-occupied, and 20,000 square-feet
of commercial space. Napleton’s original plans had called for
650 total units, including several hundred apartments.
In addition,
Napleton was ready to offer a mitigation package worth more than
$5 million in cash, amenities, road repairs and improvements, a
senior/community center, an 80,000 square-foot public park and a
farmer’s market. The company also planned to preserve two
historic structures — a barn and rolling mill — that have ties
to Paul Revere.
Selectmen
were divided on the issue, with three members — Avril Elkort,
John Connolly, and Chairman Bob Burr — opposed to rezoning, and
both Victor Del Vecchio and Sal Salvatori in support of it.
Burr
emphasized the decline in the real estate market, and Connolly
predicted that Napleton would eventually sell the property. Del
Vecchio, on the other hand, said there is no perfect solution,
but concluded the latest plan he had seen was better than an
intended industrial use.
The Planning
Board was also split 3-2, having taken a vote just prior to the
start of town meeting. Chairman Jeremy Comeau and George Jenkins
lined up in support, while Chris Connolly, Jill Hayes and newly
elected Gary Vinciguerra opposed the plan.
Hayes, who
had devoted much time to drafting the Planning Board’s article,
said she had initially supported rezoning but realized the
economy had changed and now considered the project a potential
fiscal drain on the community. Connolly said the 395 units would
overburden town services.
 Developer
John Marini came out in support of Napleton, arguing that the
developer had the knowledge and the capacity to follow through
with the plan. “They have the best architects and designers,” he
said. “It has less density than other projects in town.”
A number of
residents also spoke up during the debate. Gary Titus said his
gut feeling said Napleton was the right developer for the
project, while Tony Braconi’s gut feeling told him the town “can
do better.” Braconi called the plan “rezoning by mitigation” and
said he still has many questions about the level of cleanup that
Napleton would conduct.
George
Hardiman of Revere Street, who had attended many selectmen and
Planning Board meetings, praised the plan and the developers,
noting that Napleton had already invested $7 million to start to
clean up the property and demolish some of the existing
buildings.
Spring
Town Meeting First Session Briefs…
• Monday
night town meeting voters agreed with the minority opinion of
the Finance Committee to transfer $400,000 from the cash reserve
fund to the town’s emergency stabilization fund.
Five members
of the FinCom had recommended that $900,000 of free cash be set
aside for the fund, which is used for unforeseen emergencies.
FinCom memberPat Johnson said a higher stabilization fund sends
a positive message to the bond rating agencies that the town is
serious about protecting its rating.
Speaking for
the minority, FinCom member Diane Wolff said with the coming of
the Proposition 2 1/2 override vote it is premature to set such
a high stabilization fund account.
Selectman
Avril Elkort supported Wolff and said that if the override
fails, the town could return more free cash to the schools and
municipal government and fund a 2 percent raise for contracts.
• In his
report for the ADA Transition Plan Committee, Kevin Feeney said
$97,900 remains out of the $4.2 million appropriation approved
by the town meeting in 1999. “Canton is the in the vanguard of
communities meeting ADA requirements,” Feeney said, noting that
the ADA project for converting public buildings in Canton for
disability improvements is nearly complete.
• Selectmen
Sal Salvatori, in his report on the Route 138 Revitalization
Study Committee, said the committee needs two additional
citizens to serve on the committee. Those interested in serving
should contact Town Moderator Dick Staiti.
• Staiti
also reported that selectmen had approved $13,000 for the health
board to finance Canton’s assessed contribution for the Southern
Norfolk County Association for Retarded Citizens.
• TM voters
agreed to an earlier starting time for future town meetings,
which will now begin at 7 p.m.
• Prior to
the opening of the first session of the April 28 town meeting,
selectmen announced the resignation of Jane Consalvi from the
position of assistant treasurer and collector, effective
September 30. The BOS also reappointed Cab Devoll and Tim
Brooks to the Recreation Commission and voted to appropriate
funds from the Stoughton Mitigation account for the paving of
Shawmut Road. The appropriation approved would not exceed
$80,000.
May 1, 2008
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