Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Why I support the sale of 252 Baldwinville Rd.




Why I support the sale of 252 Baldwinville Rd.

There are many reasons why I support the sale of 252 Baldwinville Rd. The Town of Templeton will never make back the money that was spent on this project to date. Selling the property puts it back on the tax roll. I do not support throwing good money after bad. The sale of 252 Baldwinville Rd is a short sale. The town will take a loss on the property.

If you review the list of documents 252 Baldwinville Rd (for Senate Bill 623), you will discover that this building was purchased without an appraisal, without a building inspection and without a 21E. This lack of due diligence on the part of the former/current municipal building committee has added exponentially to the cost of the project
- List of Bids for 252 Baldwinville Rd. The lowest bid for 252 Baldwinville Rd was $3.2 million dollars in addition to what has already been spent. The change of use of the building is another contributing factor to the exorbitant cost of this project.

Article 5 on this STM Warrant is asking to resurrect the Municipal Building Committee that was abolished by town meeting. Article 5 on the STM warrant was brought forward by Dennis O’Brien, former chairman of the BOS and a member of the defunct municipal building committee. The Ethics Commission fined Dennis O’Brien $1,000 for his involvement in the purchase of 252 Baldwinville Rd.

List of Documents Regarding 252 Baldwinville Rd.


This list of documents has been gathered over a long period of time. In order to access the individual documents in the list, they will need to be downloaded and then the blue links will open the documents.


252 Baldwinville Rd (for Senate Bill 623)



The $1,980,500 was borrowed as a short-term loan. The Town of Templeton will pay back $143,920 in FY 14 for this project; $147,950 in FY 15; $152,092 in FY 16; $156,351 in FY 17 and finally pay off this note $160,729 in FY 18. There is NO money for this project.

In my opinion, the sale of 252 Baldwinville Rd is the best option for the Town.



Please VOTE NO on Article 5.



Why I oppose the sale of East Templeton Elementary School

At this time, I believe it is in the Town’s best interest to have the newly created Town Buildings Assessment Committee develop an analysis and review of the East Templeton Elementary School. There has not been an analysis, a plan for ET, because there has been no money or a committee to review the property. The Advisory Board chairman and a group of volunteers have worked to try to keep ET from falling into disrepair. They have made a temporary patch to the roof and the BOS approved the purchase of a dehumidifier for the basement.

Unlike 252 Baldwinville Rd, the change of use for East Templeton Elementary School from a school to office space is considered a less hazardous use.

Please VOTE NO to sell 160 Patriots Road at this time. Please give the Town an opportunity to preserve this valuable asset and to properly evaluate its purpose.

Please vote NO on Article 6


My opinions…supported by FACTS ! ! !

Julie Farrell

10 comments:

  1. In my opinion East Templeton Elementary School would make a fine addition as a welcome place for our new town hall. 252 Baldwinville Rd. is a factory site that could provide needed jobs and opportunity for the business sector of our town. People need to show up for town meeting and make their vote count.

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    1. From the road, traveling on Rt.2A, the East Templeton School does not give people the impression that there is room for what is needed for a town hall. I had never been to this building but was surprised at the large area behind the building. There is more than enough room for parking, more room than there is at the Baldwinville School, and I would be safe to say, as much or more than 252. So don't run up there with your tape measure, this is just a observation. We had a good crowd that came to the school after they visited 252. Most of the people gave a good response, being surprised by the open sunny feeling of the building. Low and behold, no rivers of mold anywhere to be found. Simply because this is not the case as long as there is good humidifier running. The building in East Templeton was built for people, the building at 252 was built for manufacturing, that is a big difference. Could you imagine spending eight hours a day in 252 ??? I know I couldn't. Did the new paint on the floor cover up the smell, of what ever it is that has in bedded the walls? This is the real issue that worries me. I am afraid that we could dump more money into that building, and end up with a building no one could work in. People have their own reasons for being against E.T., and I am afraid not all of these issues are for the good of the town. Pushing 252 just to prove a point, does not do it for me. A good number of people who ended up at E.T. after going to 252, were impressed, and were given inaccurate information from people who have no problem doing what ever it takes to get what they want, from what I can see. In the end it really should be what is best for the town, because we pay the bills, and I am not sure people will be willing to up their taxes just to prove a point. Please attend the STM tonight at 7:00, at NRHS, vote for what you feel will be the best for your tax dollar and best for the town you are a share holder in. Bev.

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  2. I went to a couple of meetings at the planning office and there was a 21E as there was a woman that read the whole thing and ended up saying the report showed nothing wrong. If I am not mistaken they also did additional testing because people in town were complaining so they went ahead and testing several areas for toxic substances and found nothing. Where are those reports? I remember the 21E she had she had many many post it notes on for reference from her reading it. I wish I could remember her name, but I don't.

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  3. just came from 252 building to see what rooms were taped off with caution tape and / or black electrical tape. Two bathrooms and a utility room were taped off and upon opening these doors, there is mold every where in the bathrooms and on two walls in the utility room. Certainly these rooms could have been open for all visitors to see if the people pushing for 252 had nothing to hide. The entire building (formerly ET school house was open for view including a dirt floor "crawl" space. The building was simply open for inspection so taxpayers can/could see what they own. Nothing was hidden unlike 252 building which is strange. What is even more interesting is the small size of the room layouts for 252. How much space will be lost by the build out. When you begin a build out, you lose a certain amount of space when hallways and rooms are constructed, How much space is actually lost. At ET, you actually see the size of the useable space you start with. Just a thought.

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  4. No matter how you measure it ET is smaller than 252, both in size and lot size. You can't count crawl spaces or the space in the attic. What if the bids come in higher than 252,but hold on Bev before you blow a gasket.I keep on saying how can you come up with numbers with no plan on interior demo, environmental study on all parts of the site. the old septic system in the play ground. where the old underground oil tanks were, handicap accessible, parking or drainage/stormwater management. and the complete interior rehab, sounds like a lot of $$$$$$$$$$ Just thinking out loud

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  5. HUTH -

    The concerns you raise are all legitimate concerns. Why not let the Town Buildings Assessment Committee inspect the property and compile a report? That committee was just created a few weeks ago. It was created to look at ALL town buildings not just East Templeton.

    Why not let that committee review East Templeton?

    Please Vote NO on Article 6

    Please attend the Special Town Meeting - TONIGHT!!

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    1. Like I said, any decision that is good for the town, with no funny business, will be alright with me. Just give the taxpayers the truth, which is a different way of doing business for some and people will be willing to step up. Well, well I do wonder what my friend V.W. will have to say to Jeff's discovery?? Is that something like the kettle calling the pot black ??? Hee, Hee, Jeff that is a good one. Did you have to carry Devil Dog out of the building? No wonder some of the people who left the building Saturday, had tears in their eyes. It was their allergic reaction, not tears of joy. Bev.

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  6. I will simply ask this; would it be good to get out of 690 Patriots Road and stop paying rent? Would ET be an acceptable temporary office space while the town moves forward with a 5 year plan on first, looking at town buildings, deciding where is best for a town hall (one that would/could help support town business, such as the location of ET) Determine where to build and build NEW so there will be no argument of this is a bad building or that is bad etc. All the while building a good capital stabilization account by putting free cash into it so in 5 years we could have a good portion if not all to build a town hall. Why jump and go into debt right this minute? What is the rush? One thing I see at 252 is a very high ceiling which equates to wasted space which has to be insulated and a flat roof which all things considered, not really the best choice for a building to have office space in along with people. To be truthful, there is mold in 252 and why were people not allowed to see these spaces at an open house?

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    1. If east templeton school is not fit for students to use (falling apart, mold etc) why would it be fit for town offices?? don't tell me it is ok for students, I spoke with the former building principal..the building is not healthy for use....

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    2. A principal is not qualified to say if a building is good or bad. They had an agenda to close schools and squeak a new building in

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