January 4, 2021 meeting

Meeting date: 
Monday, January 4, 2021

Board of Selectmen

January 4, 2021

Regular Session

Conducted remotely via Zoom

 

Present:

Christopher Barrett, Chairman

 

Philip Crawford, Selectman

 

Richard Dalton, Selectman

 

Chairman Barrett called meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. He announced it was being recorded via Zoom, for cable television transmission.

 

Joint meeting with Planning Board to consider candidates and appoint Planning Board member to vacant position

Chairman Barrett expressed appreciation for the Planning Board’s hard work and dedication. Planning Board Chair Brian Charville said that all Planning Board members were present. Chairman Barrett thanked Thomas Wallace for his service. Mr. Charville said he will greatly missed.

 

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board vote to enter into joint session with the Planning Board, and that Chairman Barrett be named chair of the joint meeting.

 

Roll call vote: Planning Board members Charville, Michael Sheehan, Katherine Flaws, Edward Champy – aye. Selectmen Barrett, Dalton, Crawford – aye.

 

Chairman Barrett said that such decisions are difficult due to the outstanding credentials of the candidates. The two candidates, Paige Wilkins and Anthony Guerriero, have agreed to appear for a brief interview.

 

Ms. Wilkins said she moved to Lynnfield in 2018 and soon after became involved in the Tuttle Lane subdivision hearings to express her family’s and neighborhood’s concerns. She has studies the Town’s master plan and zoning bylaws and various matters before the Planning Board. She also attended several meetings of that board. She is an attorney in a Boston firm that has handled a number of land-use matters. She said her experience and training as an attorney will be valuable to the Planning Board. She also has volunteer experience.

 

Mr. Charville asked about her familiarity with current issues before the Planning Board. She said she is familiar with the various developments before the board as well as the proposed tree bylaw and proposed open space bylaw.

 

Ms. Flaws spoke in favor of Ms. Wilkins’s candidacy. She said she has spoken with her on several issues and while they have not always agreed, she has found her well-informed and respectful and said a diversity of viewpoints in valuable.

 

Members of the joint meeting expressed thanks for her willingness to serve.

 

Mr. Guerriero said he has been a resident for 12 years and has been involved with the Ave Maria Parish, Little League, and the Historical Society. He worked in the state legislature for former Senate president Thomas Birmingham for ten years and has been the assistant director of community relations and federal projects for Massport for 18 years. He said he understands the interaction with state, local and federal projects. He said he is familiar with the master plan. He said he understands this process and the need to work collaboratively and the need to listen to local residents on the impact of such projects. He said he believes this experience will be helpful to the Planning Board.

 

Mr. Charville asked if Mr. Guerriero, as a resident of the Market Street area, would come to the board with strong views on subjects related to that property. Mr. Guerriero said he wants to keep a dialogue open with the property owners and residents. He said he is concerned with traffic issues. He said he believes the changing of businesses is also of concern. He believes the housing aspect of the mixed-use development has worked well.

 

Mr. Champy asked how the change in businesses is a Planning Board issue. Mr. Guerriero said he was asked of his general concerns about the development.

 

Board members thanked Mr. Guerriero for his willingness to serve. Selectman Crawford asked if he had the time to serve. Mr. Guerriero said he will make the time to be involved, as he plans to be a Lynnfield resident for a long time.

 

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford:  I move that (Anthony Guerriero be appointed to the Planning Board for a term that will expire at the announcement of the results for the annual Town election.

 

Mr. Charville said he was prepared to make a motion in support of Ms. Wilkins. He said he believes there are two great options, but he said Ms. Wilkins had been involved in recent meetings and issued. Assistant Town Administrator Robert Curtin said that the chair could accept both nominations and then hold a roll call vote in which members of the joint meeting voted for their preferred candidate.

 

MOTION by Planning Board member Charville, duly seconded by Planning Board member Flaws:  I move that (Anthony Guerriero be appointed to the Planning Board for a term that will expire at the announcement of the results for the annual Town election.

 

A roll call vote ensued.

 

Voting for Mr. Guerriero – Dalton, Crawford, Barrett, Champy.

 

Voting for Wilkins – Charville, Sheehan, Flaws

 

Mr. Sheehan said he was impressed by both candidates and said both are eminently qualified.

Chairman Barrett declared Mr. Guerriero the winner by a 4-3 vote. He thanked Ms. Wilkins for her willingness to serve and said there will chances for her to do so in the future.

 

Chairman Barrett declared the joint meeting concluded.

 

Public hearing under provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 61B,for consideration of purchase or conveyance of the right to purchase a parcel of vacant land located off Main Street containing 20 acres +/- and shown on Town of Lynnfield Tax Assessor’s Map as Map 8, Parcel 1325, and Map 8, Parcel 1488, which lists the property as containing approximately 35,208 feet, which includes access to Main Street, Lynnfield, and further described in the Quitclaim Deed dated December 21, 2008 and recorded on January 20, 2009 at Essex South Registry of Deeds in Book 28255, Page 254

Chairman Barrett declared public hearing was duly noticed and posted. He asked that due to the large number of participants that each speaker limit himself or herself to three minutes.

 

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the public hearing be opened. Roll call vote was unanimous.

 

Ken MacNulty of Merrow Road, a board member of the Ipswich River Watershed Association, said he is a member of the citizens’ group advocating for the Town to exercise its right of first refusal to purchase this property. He explained the location of the property, and said construction in this area is on an adjacent parcel.

 

Resident Patricia Campbell also spoke in favor of the acquisition of Richardson Green so that the Town can limit development in the Ipswich River area, help fight climate change and preserve the Town’s natural beauty. She said there are over 3,000 trees on that lot. She noted a plan to develop another parcel on upper Main Street was defeated at a recent town meeting and that a survey on the subject of Richardson Green shows public support for the purchase of the parcel by the Town.

 

Jen Wilkins, a Merrow Road resident, said she and her husband strongly support the exercise of first refusal as a way to preserve the quaint small-town feeling, with open space and nature. She also said it would help project the Town’s water supply.

 

Allison MacKendree agreed with previous speakers, said that in addition to ecological reasons, the property should be preserved due to the need to protect local wildlife. She also expressed concern about the loss of trees and other flora.

 

Gayle Richardson said she has no connection to the owners of the land but said she is proud of the Town for looking at this option, despite its expense, saying that this is a forward-thinking approach.

 

Sarah Parsons agreed with previous speakers, expressing concerns about displacement of wildlife.

 

Don Gentile of Lovell Road, chair of the Conservation Commission, said that its November 17 meeting the commission voted to endorse the purchase and the use of over $200,000 from the conservation fund if this purchase moves forward. He said this is a rare opportunity to preserve one of the largest tracts of undeveloped land in the Town. He said this could ameliorate issues at Lynnfield Center Water District as well.

 

Holly Chiampa of Friendship Lane said she lives across the street from the Janet Way subdivision and said she has already seen wildlife being displaced and that she supports the effort to preserve trees and wildlife.

 

David Henriquez of Homestead Road, a student at Clark University, supports the purchase and as a project created a map of this area. He said the forested area helps contain water and mitigate climate change.

 

Melanie Lovell of Bourque Road, a former Conservation Commission member and a Tree Committee member, said this is an important opportunity to preserve open space for the reasons given to other speakers. She urged that the chat function be opened on Zoom to give others a chance to express themselves.

 

Assistant Town Administrator Robert Curtin raised concern about preservation of chat and whether this comports with the open meeting law as some participants have phone only.Chaiorman Barrett asked anyone interested in sharing their views to email the town administrator, to be shared with the Board.

 

Brian Hutter of Canterbury Road said that he favors preservation of the Richardson Green property in order to preserve trees and open space.

 

Kevin Sullivan of Main Street, a Finance Committee member and former Fields Committee and Recreation Commission member, said that he supports the acquisition of this land in principle but asks that all consider it in the broader aspect of other needs of the Town, such as public safety buildings, a new library. He suggested that perhaps some of the land, if purchased, be used for senior housing by LIFE, Inc. He said this would also give the Town access to other Town land in the area.

 

Kenneth Peterson of Main Street said he said that the septic system burden on the wellfield area and the Ipswich River would be detrimental. He said the taxpayer burden to educate children who live in these proposed homes would be perpetual. He said the purchase could be paid off in 20 years or fewer.

 

Planning Board member Kate Flaws said she is working with the citizens’ group on this project. She said funding for this $2.7 million purchase could be partially offset by $200,000 in conservation funds, the sale of a portion of the land for a two-lot residential subdivision, and private fundraising and grants that are available. She said sev4eral other parcels are likely to be developed in Town in which the Town will have no such option to match the purchase price.

 

Chairman Barrett thanked Ms. Flaws for the work she has done in this matter.

 

Resident Susan Lambe said she would favor this purchase and assist with the fundraising effort.

 

Angus Bruce, the proposed developer of the parcel, said that this is not an old-growth forest, as reported by an expert. He said that the property is surrounded by a significant amount of open space. He said there are no wetlands on this property. He said zoning requires 1.5 acres per parcel. He said he has proposed a cluster zoning project that was rejected by the Town. He said the property has very little impact on the Town’s water supply, and the funds could be better spent on a filtration plant and acquisition of additional capacity from an outside water system. He said six wells have been approved for the 14 lots proposed for the property. He disputed that this is a critical piece of property for the Town.

 

Kirk Mansfield, a member of the Conservation Commission and chair of the Historical Commission, said this is an important piece of land because the Town is losing open space and the charm. He said the Historical Commission supports this purchase.

 

Thomas Kayola, a Finance Committee member, asked about the proposed cluster zoning development reject by town meeting. He asked the Planning Board’s view on such a proposal for the property. Planning Board member Edward Champy said that the matter before the Town is the purchase of this property. He said the Planning Board would review any proposed development plan on its merits. He said these are independent issues.

 

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the public hearing be closed. Vote by roll call was unanimous.

 

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board vote to take this matter under advisement. Vote by roll call was unanimous.

 

MOTION by Selectman Dalton, duly seconded by Selectman Crawford: I move that the Board adjourn. Vote by roll call was unanimous.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 7:04 p.m.