Kerry O'Brien
News Staff Writer TEMPLETON — The Planning Board is proposing to rezone the tip of the village district at Baldwinville center from residential to commercial-industrial and will be holding a public hearing next month before bringing it to town meeting for approval. “We want to rezone to attract business,” said Planning Board department manager Carl Giacobone. “We’re trying to prime the area. We’re trying to build a tax base — if businesses come in it’s good for our bottom line.” The proposed area are parcels 60, 61, 62, 284 and 285 — located behind Lee’s Hot Dog Stand on Mill Street. Currently, the area is comprised of undeveloped land, an abandoned parking lot, and a cleared area which used to be the location of Baldwinville Paper Products and American Tissue Mills of Massachusetts. It makes Mill Street a dead end. “(The area is) not good for anything else,” said Planning Board Chairman Kirk Moschetti. “It’s just a couple acres, I don’t think it would work for residential.” Next to the land is a railroad track which Mr. Giacobone said is currently not in use, but could be utilized by a business owner if the town allows the rezoning. “(The tracks are) on the right side of the parcels,” Mr. Giacobone said. “It’s not being used now, but it was functional when the paper mills were active.” At Annual Town Meeting in May, the planning board presented voters with a proposal to rezone 50 acres of land in the same vicinity as the current proposal from residential-agricultural to commercial-industrial, however voters amended the article to approve the rezoning of only a portion of the parcels proposed. “We’re going to vote to rezone more parcels in that area but not the ones they said no to,” Mr. Moschetti said. The area currently being proposed covers roughly several acres. The planning board will be discussing the attributes of the area proposed to be rezoned at their meeting tonight at 6 p.m. The public hearing will be held Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at 690 Patriots Road. Zoning changes must be approved by town meeting voters. In other business, the planning board will also be discussing a proposal for a Chinese restaurant to be located next to Patriot’s Roast Beef and Pizza, at tonight’s meeting. |
Paul working for you.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Planning Board News from TGN
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Do you want quality education? Do you want low taxes? Do you want quality essential services? Do you want better roads? Do you want a healthy community? Well, there's a way to get all that and YOU can be a part of the answer. The Planning Board has worked very hard to improve all aspects of living in Templeton and encouraging business to come here and/or to keep existing business thriving. They have partnered with the MRPC to create a Master Plan for Templeton. This is your opportunity to have a say in what this town is and what it should be in the future. Last November, they held a public forum in which we were given an opportunity to identify the major challenges the town faces and to make a plan to overcome them. Industrial zoning was discussed. Dangerous roads was discussed. Attracting business was discussed. It was disappointing how few residents attended. The residents that did attend came up with a list of good quality suggestions to add to the Master Plan. East Templeton was targeted as an area that needs more attention--especially the 5-way intersection redesigned. I hope that MRPC and the Planning Board will hold another public forum soon now that so many more residents are paying attention to the needs and financial situation in town. Its a refreshing feeling to put conflicting political viewpoints aside and be a part of creating solutions side by side.
ReplyDeleteThe only way to end this ongoing tug-o-war is to drop the rope and start discussing ways to improve absolutely everything in Templeton. Is it possible that we can all come together via the Planning Board and begin a new PR campaign to attract business to town? If we can channel our lynch mob mentality into something positive, we may be able to dig ourselves out of this deep hole we find ourselves in.
Templetonian, I do not think there has been a better response to a blog than this one. For this I thank you. I am as guilty as anyone else, because I don't attend many Planning Board Meetings. I do understand how frustrating it must be,to get a project to Town Meeting, only to meet resistance. The time to ask questions, or make changes is when a project is in the planning stages, not on the Town Meeting floor. We absolutely need industry to help with our tax base. Any business brings jobs,and people to town. I never thought we would be in the same economic situation as Athol and Orange, but guess what, we are. Enough with the" not in my back yard" attitude. our empty houses are not going to look any better with time. The cost for services continues to go up, and we need to find businesses to help offset this trend. We also need to give people a reason to come live here. Bev.
DeleteBev, I agree with you 100%!! If the tax payers of Templeton cannot afford the kind of education, roads, capitol improvements, etc. that the tax payers of Templeton deserve, then bringing in business is the way to go!
DeleteCan you imagine the tax relief that a Target or grocery store built on Templeton soil would provide?
I sure hope improving East Templeton DOES NOT include putting a Chinese Restaurant in another Trailer next to Patriots Roast Beef and Pizza, Come on Now, that would do more damage than good. I am hoping it was an error and they have the name/location wrong.
ReplyDeleteFYI the Chinese restaurant is looking at the old Colonial coop Bank building in Baldwinville near the Pizza Barn not in East Templeton. TGN got it wrong
ReplyDeleteI understand it is going to be a take out business.. Our town has changed a lot since I was a kid. At that time there were no people of color, and there was only one Chinese restaurant, and that was in Fitchburg. When my dad was young, Gardner was made up of different ethnic groups. There was the Polish section, the"patch", is what it was called. The Finnish people lived in one section, and the Irish in another. Now every family is pretty much made up of a combination of all. Bev .
Delete