Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 12/6/2023
WILBRAHAM — The placement of pickleball courts at Memorial School was approved with a Select Board vote on Nov. 27, confirming a vote by the board earlier in the month.
On Nov. 6, the board voted to allow the construction of pickleball courts on the site, as recommended in a feasibility study on converting the school to a community recreation center. While the property’s future is still undecided, the board was in favor of building the proposed courts with the Community Preservation funding approved at the 2023 spring Town Meeting.
Two weeks later, however, Town Administrator Nick Breault told the board that Town Counsel Brian Winner had informed him that because recreation falls under Article 97 of the state’s Public Land Preservation Act, future sale of the land would require the town to purchase land of equal size for recreation purposes. Community Preservation Chair Tracey Plantier then questioned the placement of the courts at the site based on the language of the Town Meeting funding article.
Proponents of the installation of pickleball courts have been vocal at Select Board meetings, with several speaking at the Nov. 6 meeting and again during the “public forum” portion of Nov. 27’s meeting.
Resident John Haggerty acknowledged he was not a lawyer but said that he did not believe Article 97 applied to the land, as it is already owned by the town. Another resident said if the regulations do apply to the land, there are “simple” steps to take if the town sells the site in the future.
Several residents asked for more information from the board about the vote that would be taken later in the meeting regarding the courts. Select Board members Susan Bunnell and Michael Squindo — Chair Theresa Goodrich was not present — explained that public forum was a chance for residents to make comments but was not designed to be a question-and-answer format.
Later in the meeting, Breault said he had conferred with Winner in the week since the Nov. 20 meeting. Winner had offered his legal opinion that the applicability of Article 97 could not be determined with certainty at this point but reiterated the steps the town would need to take to remedy the situation should the land be sold in the future. He also said the language in the warrant article is broad enough to allow the courts to be placed at Memorial School.
Dancing
The Local Table and Tap, a restaurant at 2039 Boston Rd., applied for an annual entertainment license, which would include dancing. Breault said the eatery is “properly sprinklered” and therefore, allowed to host dancing, however, he wanted the Police and Fire departments to weigh in on whether the activity should be permitted. The business’s owner, Christopher Arillotta, said he was open to providing a chance for the board to seek input from safety personnel, but noted he was planning to have an event for New Year’s Eve.
The board postponed a decision on whether to allow dancing at the establishment, but approved other forms of entertainment, including restricted live music.