Citizens debate town's future
Published on June 16th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA -Stoneham citizens have a lot to say about how the proposed Town Common should — and should not — look.
At an unofficial meeting of the Town Common Committee — the quorum of voting members was not met — citizens spoke:
Jack and Barbara Mahoney of Isabella Street in no uncertain terms want Central Street to remain as it is.
The proposal the Town Common Committee plans to bring to the June 16 public hearing shows a two-acre common in front of Town Hall with Church Street, Winter Street and a portion of Central Street closed.
"A lot of people in town showed interest in this plan at Town Day last year," said Steve Born, Town Common Committee member.
"Adequate parking and an open Church Street show respect for a House of God and its mission," said Dirkje Legerstee, Pastor of the First Congregational Church on Church Street.
Franklin Street resident John DeGeorge wants to make sure all citizens who are interested know when and how they can enter the debate.
The people of Stoneham are right to be excited one way or the other, the committee agreed. According to Town Common Committee member Donald Borchelt and Project Manager Joe Slavet, the new common will be a central part of Stoneham life for at least the next hundred years.
The questions this year are which streets are going to be closed, and when and how will the public have a say.
Central Street (between Common Street and Emerson Street), Church Street and Winter Street may close.
The approval process
Under town law the public will have a say at Town Meeting for any and all closings of public streets.
During the past year citizens have had the opportunity to attend open sessions of the Town Common Committee, including a formal public hearing Wednes-day, June 16, at the Town Hall.
"If there are major changes made as a result of community input we will decide whether or not to have a second hearing," Borchelt said.
Also, in a separate discussion Selectmen Cosmo Ciccarello said the selectmen will hold a public hearing before approving a final plan.
Within the language of the article passed at Town Meeting last month approving funding for Phase I, the new town parking off of Emerson Street, and Phase II, the new common, no mention was made of process.
The selectmen have the official last say on the common design, and the public's support is not needed for the board to do whatever they like. Only approval of street closings and any other articles brought to Special Town Meeting by petition by private citizens could impede the process, if the selectmen so chose.
Of course, this is not the way it will go.
"We are going to listen to the people," said Ciccarello. "I always do."
But DeGeorge said he wished the article had set up a formal procedure for the vote to go back to the people.
"The townspeople will have (de facto) approval at Town Meeting because they will have to vote on the street closings," said McDonough. Committee members say they will ask to close at least one of the streets in question.
Why this plan?
"This committee has decided to offer the widest possible plan because people respond to what they see," McDonough said. "I don't think one person on the committee thinks this proposal will be the final plan."
Mahoney was critical of the committee's decision to even consider closing Central Street.
"I was hoping the committee would have vision," Mahoney said.
Ciccarello said he is concerned about safety issues.
"The Fire and Police Chiefs have some problems with closing Central Street that have to be addressed," Ciccarello said.
Borchelt said he thought the committee had done a positive thing by sparking a debate.
"I realize the concerns of Central Street, but I am surprised that in a democracy there has been so much opposition to debate," Borchelt said.
McDonough said the vote to bring the proposal of a two-acre common with a closed Central Street to the June 16 public hearing was unanimous.
DeGeorge agreed that presenting a controversial plan would attract attention.
"You need to let people know what your are doing," DeGeorge said.
"The meetings are advertised in the paper, and the (Stoneham Independent) ran the schematic plan a few weeks ago," McDonough said.
What's next?
As of press time, the first public hearing of the Town Common Committee, scheduled for June 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall had not yet met.
After the meeting the Town Common Committee will finalize the plan it feels makes sense and addresses the concerns of the citizenry. The committee plans to have a plan to the selectmen by the fall.
Then the selectmen can approve, deny or alter and approve the plan.
A Special Town Meeting to vote on street closings which are included in the design is the final step.
Meanwhile, demolition of the site in the area between Town Hall and Main Street will begin in August — all possible plans require the demolition work.
Phase I of the project is 7 percent under budget according to Slavet. At a total of $1.6, this translates into $112,000. Levy, Eldredge, and Wagner, Associates is the architect of both phases and Quirk is the builder working on Phase I.
Quirk is one month ahead of schedule with the new parking lot, which should be complete in August, and the architect is waiting to see what the town says to do about Phase II.
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