Majority approves Wilbraham’s Open Space, Recreation Plan
Date: 9/12/2013
By Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.comWILBRAHAM – The Board of Selectmen voted to send a letter of review to the state voicing its support for the Open Space and Recreation Plan at its Sept. 9 meeting.
The board voted 2-1 in favor of the plan with Chair James Thompson and Selectman Robert Russell issuing the affirmative votes. Selectman Robert Boilard elected not to pledge his support toward the plan.
“This issue has been debated and discussed quite a bit and we’ve received a lot of information,” Thompson said. “After reviewing everything, I am comfortable supporting this plan as submitted.”
Having an updated Open Space and Recreation Plan would qualify the town for certain grants from the state and Russell said that while he understood concerns that state grants often come with strings attached, he believed in the town’s ability to make the right decisions.
“I don’t see us getting backed into a corner,” he said. “We have a plan already. This is just updating it.”
The board agreed it would include both the majority view of the board in support of the document as well as Boilard’s minority view in its letter to the Division of Conservation Services for the state under the executive office of Environmental Affairs.
Letters of review are also required from the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC).
The Conservation Commission voted not to support the plan at a recent meeting, which Boilard said was part of the reason he could not support the plan.
“I’m uncomfortable with this after the vote taken by the Conservation Commission,” he said. “I don’t see going forward with it if they don’t approve. These are the guys who live and breathe this.”
Planning Board Chair Richard Butler and Vision Task Force Chair Chuck Phillips also asked the board for approval of a Reserve Fund transfer of $6,748 to prepare documents for meetings on Sept. 17 and 21 at which they will unveil the task force’s findings.
While the task force originally planned 500 88-page town report style handouts, it opted to go with shorter summaries that will be distributed at the meetings with the full report made available on the website. A small number of hard copies would be made available at the library and Town Hall for reference purposes only.
The new approach would cost a fraction of the original transfer request – $1,250 – but Susan Bunnell, chair of the Finance Committee, said the committee was not having another meeting in the foreseeable future and therefore the request should remain the same with any leftover money being returned to the town.
The board and the Finance Committee lauded the task force for re-evaluating its approach in order to both save the town money and make its presentation more effective.
The selectmen also agreed to authorize American Capital Energy to file an interconnect agreement with National Grid relating to the proposed photovoltaic array the company wishes to install on the town’s closed landfill on Boston Road.
Town Administrator Robert Weitz explained that while the new solar regulations would not be ready for months, American Capital Energy hoped to file the paperwork as soon as possible because there are a limited number of engineers in the state that do the work.
Weitz also reported to the board that the Casino Task Force would be submitting its draft letter outlining what it views as potential impacts a local casino could have on Wilbraham at the next Board of Selectmen meeting. Boilard asked if the task force would be willing to come in to meet with the selectmen and Weitz said he would see to it.
Weitz also clarified confusion regarding the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District assessment. Weitz said that because the schools received approximately $350,000 more than expected in local aid, there was a perception that the district needed to return that amount to the town. However, Weitz said that because of the extra funding from the state, the assessment would be lowered and therefore the $350,000 would not be raised, keeping it in the taxpayer’s pockets.
