By James Downing
Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts)
Copyright 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc. and Mid-States Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
TOWNSEND, Mass. — Residents voted to approve the merger of the fire and ambulance departments at Tuesday’s special town meeting in town hall, following a rancorous debate in recent weeks.
Only a few residents voted against the merger, and no one raised any objections on the floor.
Fire Chief William Donahue said the merger would take effect on July 1, and no employees or wages will be affected.
“The merger won’t result in substantial cost savings,” said Joseph Berman, a Finance Committee member. “This is more for administrative efficiencies.”
Also Tuesday, voters declined to give the Cemetery and Parks Department $10,500 for temporary labor by a 63-45 vote.
“The reason for this is article is, we really have been under-budgeted,” said parks commissioner John Barrett.
Barrett said the department has to take care of two large cemeteries, several parks and the library and town hall grounds on a budget that has been cut back significantly in recent years.
The Finance Committee voted not to approve the measure at a previous meeting.
“What will we do if each individual department comes before the town meeting?” Berman asked. “It circumvents the budgeting process and it is dangerous because the town will hear the pleas of each individual department without understanding the global impact.”
The town also voted 61-39 to reject a article that would have rezoned the lot on 212 Fitchburg Road to a commercial district. The article appeared on the warrant through a citizens’ petition.
Barrett, who also serves as the attorney for the property’s owner, David Langton, said rezoning the land would bring in added tax revenue and would not impact neighbors.
Langton has been operating a fairly large business, Einstein’s Landscaping, on the site for years, according to Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Bill Cadogan.
“This is just not the way to do zoning,” Cadogan said. “We (customarily) try to get so many different departments together, especially when dealing with a business that has been operating illegally for five years.”
Barrett said the business did not overly infringe on abutters, noting that it is relatively quiet.
One resident disagreed, however.
“I live about a mile away from that site and I can hear it at my house,” Steven Cloutier said.
Also Tuesday, Michelle Dole withdrew her article to rezone a strip of Main Street from number 225 to 199 to commercial, allowing her to open a business.
Planning Board member Stanley Vladyka said a panel is already working to rezone large tracts of land in town, and Dole’s plans could fit into that process.