Adams to Decide Library, Train Station Projects
 Town meeting members will be asked to authorize spending for renovations at the historic Free Library, the cornerstone of which was laid by President McKinley. |
ADAMS, Mass. — Town meeting members will be asked to decide renovation of the library and the construction of a train station, and the institution of a solar energy zoning bylaw, along with six other articles, at a special town meeting on Monday, March 24, in the C.T. Plunkett School Auditorium at 7 p.m.
The special town meeting warrant can be found here.
The passage of Articles Three and Four will put the town on track to buy and redevelop the long vacant car wash at 4 Hoosac St. into a train station in anticipation of the planned Berkshire Scenic Railway. The building will be used mainly in the summer and fall.
Article Three authorizes the raising and appropriation, or borrowing, of up to $552,000, for the project. However, the final cost will be $165,000 because 70 percent of the funds are already paid by a grant. The $165,000 will come out of the free cash for capital improvements. Article Four authorizes the town to purchase the 4 Hoosac St. property for redevelopment.
The other major funding question is Article Seven, to allow spending of up to $970,000 on the Free Library. The amount will likely be borrowed, but is not expected affect the tax rate now that the borrowing for renovation of the old Town Hall is off the books.
The project includes a new roof, renovations to the basement and masonry repairs for the historic building.
The rest of the articles do not have costs associated with them.
The first article is to see if the town will allow the installation and maintenance of an electrical transformer. The transformer will be installed on the Armory Court and will provide power to the building located at 19-25 park St. known as the Mausert block. The renovated building will have apartments and restaurants and the new transformer is needed to supply electricity. An agreement has been made with National Grid to have the equipment installed in an aesthetically appropriate way since it will be seen from the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
Article Two will allow Timothy and Stephanie Snow, the owners of 160 North Summer St., to use and maintain a cellar entry way that partially lies on town property.
Article Five finalizes the easements and acquiring of land needed for the Friend Street roundabout project. All the easements have been negotiated with the property owners, and the roundabout will cost the town nothing. There are five parcels in the question: from McAndrew-King, Boston & Maine, Burke Construction Co., Callahan Oil Co., and a piece of town land.
Article Six also relates to the roundabout, in asking that a sliver of land at Renfrew Park be used. The article specifically asks that land be removed from Article 97 of the state Constitution, which protects park lands, through petition to the Legislature. The park will largely be untouched by the project, and will not affect the sign or parking lot. The town will compensate the loss of the park land by dedicating about 2,500 square feet of another piece of municipal land to the extension of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
Article Eight creates a permit process for the installation of commercial ground-mounted solar panels, and does not allow commercial solar panels to be installed in residential areas.
The bylaw was prompted by the controversy surrounding a planned large solar array off East Road that angered abutters and led to several contentious Planning and Zoning Board meetings this summer.
Tags: bylaws, capital spending, roundabout, solar, special town meeting, train stations,
