Huntington residents took two nights to vote on the 30 articles on their town meeting warrant, after agreeing on Monday to end at 10 p.m. if the business was not complete.
By that time, residents had voted to approve all but the last four articles, which involved amending the bylaws regarding self-storage facilities, wireless communication facilities, preservation of historically significant suildings, and a Local Historic District amendment for St. Thomas Church, all of which were moved to Tuesday night.
108 voters were present on Monday out of 1,399 registered voters.
The closest vote on Monday was a transfer of $2,500 from free cash for signage and safety markers on Norwich Lake. Police Chief Robert Garriepy, who serves on the Norwich Lake Committee, spoke for the article, saying right now the Committee is talking about putting up two signs, one at the public boat launch, and one at the private launch that will be educational and informative about safety and the laws.
The discussion centered on Huntington’s rights and obligations to put up signage and buoys at the lake, which is owned by the state.
Wayne McKinney, who owns the private boat launch, said he would give permission that night to put up the sign at the private launch. Other residents of the lake were concerned with the appearance of the signage and the buoys, and whether they would interfere with fishermen trolling the lake. Another resident stated they can’t even get Huntington to provide electricity to run a scoreboard for Little League at the lake, because residents at the lake do not receive town services.
The vote passed for the appropriation 39 to 33.
Another discussion on Monday concerned the One Man, One Vote amendments to the Gateway Regional agreement. Ron Damon, longtime Huntington School Committee member, said, “This matter has come up before the School Committee many times.”
The amendments would reduce the number of School Committee members for the towns of Huntington, Chester and Russell from three to two members for each of the seven towns in the agreement. The names of all fourteen members, who must be residents of their towns, would then appear on the ballots of all towns at election following the change. All seven towns must approve the changes in order for them to pass.
There was some discussion about Huntington losing a seat on the School Committee, and also the ability of other towns to weigh in on the selection of School Committee members in Huntington. The Huntington Select Board did not recommend the changes.
“In reality, Huntington can’t even get three people to serve on the School Committee,” resident Roger Booth said. Currently, Ron Damon is the only member who was re-elected at the recent town election by write-in votes. The other two Huntington members will have to be appointed by the Select Board.
“I don’t think we should base this discussion on the engagement we have now,” Aimee Burnham, chair of the Select Board, said.
“It’s not such a big deal,” Booth added. “My bigger concern is the state using it as an excuse not to work together.”
There was a motion to move the question, and all three articles passed with a majority vote.
Other articles which passed with little discussion on Monday included $15,000 for improvements to Stanton Hall, the site of the town meeting, which Burnham called “the most used building in town.” The money will be used to paint the building and to buy a generator to make it available as a place where residents can go in an emergency, according to Burnham.
Another $35,000 was approved for emergency management response. Burnham noted the four major weather events of the past year.
“We did an inventory on what we did well and didn’t do well,” Burnham said.
She said the funds will be used for new radios, an antennae system, a fixed-site repeater which could send emergency messages to smart phones, and generators.
Also, voters authorized the Treasurer to borrow up to $250,000 for a new pumper truck for the Norwich Lake fire station. Charles Bushor, Select Board member, said they would probably ask for five-year financing as a debt exclusion at the next election in May. The new truck will replace one from 1989, which the town has been told needs $20,000 – $30,000 in repairs, after spending $10,000 in repairs last year. In another vote, a $10,000 transfer from free cash was also approved for new firemen turnout gear.
Also approved was an $80,000 transfer from free cash to the stabilization fund. Burnham said the last transfer to the fund was $100,000 in 2009. She reminded residents that any funds coming out of stabilization require a two-thirds majority vote.
Tuesday night, 56 voters returned to consider the remaining articles, which all involved amending the town bylaws. George Webb, Chair of the Zoning Board spoke about the amendment to restrict self-service storage facilities to the town’s Industrial District with a permit good for five years. Webb said the bylaw was written after someone approached the Zoning Board with a request to build a storage facility, which was not specifically addressed in the Bylaws.
“As we thought about the nature of self-service storage facilities, we thought it would be prudent to not put it in a residential zone,” Webb said. Linda Hamlin, Chair of the Planning Board, said the Board recommended passage of the amendment.
John McVeigh, who identified himself as the person who had approached the Zoning Board, said, “You are basically saying you cannot build in this town. The only place you can build is at the Highway Department. If you don’t want it, you should have just said no.”
“The Industrial District is small, I agree, but there are two or three parcels that you can build on,” Webb responded.
After concerns were raised about the aquifer, flood plain and Historic District, all within the Industrial Zone, an amendment was offered then withdrawn by Architect Jeff Penn to also allow a storage facility to be built in the Commercial District. Webb withdrew it after objections that several sections of the bylaws would have to be rewritten in order to insert the Commercial District into the language. A motion was made and passed to table the article and send the amendment back to the Zoning Board.
Linda Hamlin also spoke for the next article to amend the Huntington Zoning bylaw regarding wireless communication facilities. Hamlin said the amendment addresses shortcomings in the bylaws which were the subject of litigation by AT&T last year, after Huntington had approved applications by AT&T and Verizon.
“We had approved both of their applications,” Hamlin said. “But because AT&T thought the bylaw was unclear, they took us to court anyway. There were 64 counts in their suit. We tried to rectify everything in the suit.”
Hamlin said the litigation cost the town a lot of money.
“They didn’t like the conditions that were attached to the approval,” Steve Hamlin added> “And they had 20 days to appeal – their appeal was to take the town to court.”
When asked whether AT&T approved of the amendments, Linda Hamlin said it was a moot point.
“They’ve got their tower, they’re not going to come back,” she said.
The article passed by a two-thirds majority.
The final two articles concerned Historic Preservation in the town. Dave Norton, of the Huntington Historic Commission, said the purpose of the first amendment, The Preservation of Historically Significant Buildings Bylaw, was “to allow the town a six-month window of opportunity to preserve some of its historic buildings.” The amendment first went to town meeting last year, and was defeated.
When asked if one-hundred year old buildings to be preserved also included personal property, Norton said that not all buildings that are one hundred years old would necessarily be considered significant, but that the amendment did include personal property. The article passed by a majority vote.
The final article asked for a vote to amend the Bylaws to create a Local Historic District (LHD) of St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church.
“The Select Board formed a Local Historic District Study Committee last year,” said Jeff Penn. “We got together specifically over this building. We are very sentimentally attached to this building, not only for its historical significance…” noting the weddings, baptisms, and other ceremonies that have taken place in the church.
Penn also said that downtown Huntington is a National Historic District, which provides no protection whatsoever. He said the Local Historic District designation is more powerful. Penn also said the reason for making a Local Historic District out of this one building is that it is vulnerable. St. Thomas Church has been vacant and for sale for nineteen months.
Philip Winterson of Russell, who is on the Finance Committee of the Holy Family Parish in Russell, which has oversight of the property, spoke for the seller, the Roman Catholic Diocese. Winterson said that while they agree with the intent of the bylaw, they think it might be counterproductive, by slowing its sale, according to their realtor.
Winterson said that St. John’s Church in Chester was sold to another congregation, and the building is being taken care of by them. Both St. John’s and St. Thomas’ merged with Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Russell, to form the Holy Family Parish in February of 2010.
“We are asking the town not to adopt this bylaw,” Winterson said, adding that they had one buyer interested, and it would benefit the town not to put obstacles in the way.
Victoria Mayhew, Chairperson of the LHD Committee, disagreed.
“As a Real Estate agent,” She said. “Having a property designated as a Local Historic District is a selling point, because you can apply for grants.”
Dave Baillargeon identified himself and Mom’s House, a non-profit community service organization being formed in Huntington, as the ones who made the offer, which he said has been accepted by the Diocese. Baillargeon said they are awaiting non-profit status before the sale can go through. He also said the group is in favor of the Local Historic District designation.
Burnham thanked the committee for their work.
“We want to acknowledge the concerns of Holy Family Parish in Russell,” Burnham said, “but they are in Russell.”
The Article was moved to a vote, and passed unanimously.
