Williamstown's Spruces Vote Likely in November
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — It likely will be November before the town's voters decide whether it will move toward acquiring and closing the Spruces Mobile Home Park under the terms of a federal Hazard Mitigation Grant.
Wednesday's meeting of the Affordable Housing Trust, it was announced that it will be early October before the town can schedule the special town meeting it will take to move the process forward.
Last month, the park's current owner, Morgan Management, informed residents of its intent to sell the property to a buyer who intends to close it. Under Massachusetts law, the residents have 45 days to form a cooperative and exercise a right of first refusal to buy the park.
A majority of the residents already have voted to decline that option, but the vote was conducted before the date of the Morgan letter, which was dated Aug. 21.
At Wednesday's meeting, Affordable Housing Committee Chairwoman, Catherine Yamamoto, a member of the trust's board, said that the Massachusetts Attorney General's office had advised that the vote was not acceptable and that the best course of action is to wait out the 45-day period.
Forty-five days from Aug. 21 is Oct.5, and the special town neeting requires [14] days' notice, Yamamoto said in a meeting that was telecast on the town's community access television station, Willnet.
Tags: affordable housing, FEMA, Spruces,
