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Date: 8/14/2019
LONGMEADOW – Residents of Longmeadow will have the opportunity to vote on two warrant articles at the upcoming Special Town Meeting on Aug. 20. The first article involves a zoning bylaw amendment that looks to prevent the construction and operation of “certain” utility company facilities in residential zones. The second is a raising and appropriating of $40,000 for raised crosswalk changes.
Article one, involving bylaw amendment, is a citizens petition. The proposed amendment recommends the deletion of Article IV, Sec. B (6.6) Uses in Residential zones, which reads, “Any public utility service building or installation, not to include the garaging of trucks or the outside storage of materials and supplies; or any building for the exclusive use of the United States Government or any agency thereof.”
To replace the deletion, the article proposes the following, “Any public utility building or installation, not to include the garaging of trucks and the outside storage of materials and supplies and the installation and use of meter stations, take stations, city gates and connected facilities; or any building for the exclusive use of the United States Government or any agency thereof.”
In addition to the deletion and substitution, article one also recommends an amendment to Article IV, Section C (2) uses in Agricultural Zone, as well as an amendment to Article IV, Section D (2) Uses in Business Zones. For exact verbiage, go to the Longmeadow Town website at this link https://www.longmeadow.org/DocumentCenter/View/4075/August-20-2019-STM-Warrant to read the warrant.
At the Longmeadow Select Board meeting on Aug. 5, resident and Chair of the Longmeadow Pipeline Awareness Group Michelle Marantz addressed the Board regarding article one. “As a result from last months efforts by our group we collected over 300 signatures calling for a bylaw change banning the construction of any industrial gas facility in a residential zone,” Marantz said. “In response, the Select Board scheduled a Special Town Meeting.”
Marantz continued to question what each Select Board members individual opinions were on the issue. “I know it’s standing policy that the Select Board not render a board decision about such a vote, so I’m not here to do that, but as you are elected town officials it’s only fair that we know where you intend to lead the community.”
In her closing comments, Marantz “reminded” the Select Board that at the June 11 election, 68 percent of voters endorsed a Select Board effort to stop the construction of a Longmeadow meter station and high-pressure pipeline, “…even at the potential cost of $2.7 million.” Marantz said this should be evidence enough that the voters want the board to “energetically block the project that threatens the health, safety, wellbeing and property values of our town.”
The second article, which is not recommended by the Finance Committee, is in place to see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $40,000 or a greater or lesser sum for the purpose of softening the incline of the raised crosswalk, which is located at the corner of Grassy Gutter and Williams Street.
The article two explanation reads, “There have been many proponents and opponents of the current construction of the raised crosswalk at the corner of Grassy Gutter and Williams Street.” The explanation continues to explain that the article would give residents a chance to debate the current construction, and if they choose, to appropriate funds to lessen the incline of the crosswalk.
Longmeadow’s Special Town Meeting will take place at the Longmeadow High School, located at 95 Grassy Gutter Rd., on Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.