Budget passes but zoning articles are rejected at Town Meeting
Published on May 3rd, 2000
STONEHAM, MA - A crowd of 306 citizens prowled the Town Hall Auditorium floor Monday night on day one of the Annual Town Meeting.
These voters were ready to strike; the body voted down completion of the drainage study as requested by John DeGeorge in a citizen's petition (Articles 8), the maintenance of non-residential property by-law proposed by the town (Article 11), the limited construction hours by-law proposed by the town (Article 13) and the rezoning of Franklin Street, from single family to multi-family residential, as proposed by Joe Cunningham in a citizen's petition (Article 14).
Voters also torpedoed the town's proposed by-law change which would have required all condominiums and apartments to recycle. Formally, the article was "indefinitely postponed," which means it was rejected.
Citizens approved the granddaddy of all articles, the $43,768,896 town budget (Article 7), but not without an amendment.
Board of Health member Michael Rolli asked that $15,000 for a part-time administrative assistant be moved from the Community Development / Planning budget to the Community Health and Human Services Department budget. The floor approved his amendment.
The budget also included only $275,000 for Stoneham's contribution to the Northeast Regional Metropolitan Voca-tional School; the school had requested $298,556. The town rejected the Voke budget by passing Article 7 with the $275,000 contribution.
If eight of the 12 communities in the Voke district pass the budget, Stoneham must come up with the rest of the $298,556.
Day one of the meeting ended at 11 p.m. The town has acted on Articles 1-15. Ten articles remain for the Thursday 7:30 p.m. session back at Town Hall.
Town Election (Article 1) was held in April. Choosing town officers (Article 2) and hearing town reports (Article 3) were just procedural steps without appropriations.
During these reports Barbara Mahoney of the Council on Aging said many seniors are having difficulty paying prescription medication bills.
Selectmen Chairman Pat Jordan reminded citizens to apply for assistance from the Stockwell Fund, a town charity which helps to cover the medical bills of those who qualify.
The town supported a $25,000 transfer into the stabilization fund (Article 5) and the appropriation of $100,000 to cover the costs of reconstructing the Public Works garage (Article 6).
Voters OK'd the synthesis of the Unicorn Recreation Com-mittee and Youth Commission into the Open Space and Recreation Committee (Article 9).
Voters gave the Retirement Board authority to grant up to three percent yearly cost of living adjustment to retirees, limited to the first $12,000 of their annual pensions (Article 10).
The townspeople also agreed with town officials that it would be cheaper to buy streetlights from Boston Edison than to rent them (Article 15). The Finance Board has said that an approximate one-time cost of $100,000 should result in average annual savings of around $50,000.
<b>No new by-laws</b>
The fact that the only Planning Board member at Town Meeting spoke against two of the proposed zoning changes hinted at the dismal fate of articles.
Planning Board member Frank Federico, speaking as a Hancock Street resident, described the maintenance requirements placed on commercial property owners under Article 11 as "a slippery slope leading to the gradual erosion of property owners' rights."
He also said the language of the by-law was too vague; "flagrantly" peeling paint is a prime example.
Paul Rotondi of Steele Street "does not trust government." He called the article "another weapon for the powers that be to control people."
Edith Previdi of Elmhurst Road said she thought the article was a good concept, but she did not want it to be law.
"I think we can talk to our business owners and encourage them to maintain their businesses," Previdi said.
A visible majority rejected Article 11.
The next proposed by-law change was lost in a battle of semantics.
Residents of condominiums said they felt as if they were being treated as "second class citizens" because the by-law singled them out.
The town must mandate that all citizens recycle to receive recycling grants from the state. All houses are already required to recycle. Condominiums with town trash pick-up are already required to recycle.
Article 12 was designed to extend the recycling requirement to condos and apartment buildings without town trash pick-up.
Kevin Hogan of Fellsview Terrace asked why the by-law didn't read "all residents," rather than a subheading identifying condominiums and apartments.
A visible majority voted to indefinitely postpone the article.
Passage of Article 13 would have limited construction hours.
"I don't think this is necessary," Federico said. "The Panning Board usually puts even more strict limitations on projects."
Town Administrator Jeff Nutting said the article was intended to address smaller jobs, which would not require Planning Board approval. He said he put the article together in response to citizen complaints about things like neighbors doing work on decks in the middle of the night.
"If you don't want this, it's up to you," Nutting said.
A visible majority did not want it.
<b>Citizens say no to citizen's petitions</b>
John DeGeorge's drainage problem lives on, and Joe Cunningham can't build houses on the old temple property off Franklin Street.
A slim majority voted down DeGeorge's Article 8, and Cunningham's Article 14 fell 10 votes short of the two-thirds necessary for a zoning change.
Selectman Darin Leahy said the town has $465,000 in a drainage fund, a $300,000 estimate for the Buckingham Terrace flooding problem, and more problems at Bear Hill, Maple Street and Montvale Avenue.
"Water comes into our living rooms, not our basements," said Linda Mazzola of the Buckingham Terrace complex. "Any question about funding for us is unthinkable."
DeGeorge said he did not want to delay other projects. He said no work would occur around Bear Hill until after the golf season. Also, Franklin Street is scheduled to be dug up near his property this summer for DPW work. But selectmen insisted that committing to Franklin Street would risk delays.
No one wants delays, so DeGeorge will have to wait.
Several direct abutters to Cunningham's proposed development supported a zoning change to allow multi-family housing. Cunningham's attorney, Stephen Cicatelli said preliminary plans show 10 units.
"I think this is possibly the best use for this type of property," said Doug Avola. "If it stays zoned as it is, it could be religious use or Section 40b (public housing regulated by the state)."
A proposed zoning change which would have allowed a dentist's office on the Franklin Street property was voted down at a previous Town Meeting because of fears of traffic safety.
Neighborhood residents Colleen Buckley of Avalon Road and Elizabeth McGovern of Walsh Avenue reiterated concerns about traffic and said they were also worried about drainage.
Finance Board member Stephen Geary continued the trend of public officials speaking against Planning Board recommendations.
"I've heard nothing to know why it is in the town's interest to change the zoning of that parcel of land," Geary said, speaking as a resident of Perkins Street.
The Article needed 65 votes to pass and received 55. At this time there were about 100 stalwarts still in the auditorium.
Town Meeting resumes Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium with Article 16: a request for $25,000 to "embellish" Lindenwood Cemetery.
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