Adams Selectmen Threaten To Close Truck Depot
ADAMS, Mass. — The owners of the former Curtis Fine Papers mill came one vote short on Wednesday of having their business shut down by the Selectmen.MJD Real Estate, which operates a truck depot at the Howland Avenue site, has fallen behind on its payment plan to the town for the third time and the board vowed to rescind its permits and shut it down if company officials don't keep their promise to settle up by the end of the month.
"They seem to be not very cooperative. They've got it all spun around backwards," said Selectman Arthur "Skip" Harrington on Wednesday. "I'm sorry if it means we have to close the business."
Harrington joined Selectwoman Paula Melville in voting to begin the process of closing the business immediately but the motion failed. The board opted to give the company until the end of the month instead.
"I think we should take action now," Melville said.
According to Town Administrator Jonathan Butler, the company owes the town more than $18,000 in back payments. MDJ is paying $2,600 a month to pay off back taxes that it inherited when it purchased the building in 2009. Last time the company fell behind, it paid nearly all that was owed at once, Butler said.
"We should start charging them interest," Selectman Jason Hnatonko said. "We made an agreement."
MDJ attempted to buy the property in 2009 without having to pay the back taxes but the town protested and reached the agreement to set up a payment plan of 95 payments of $2,600.
Closing the business would not be easy, according to Edmund St. John III, town counsel. The agreement would have to be revoked to rescind its current operating permits and approved by the state Department of Revenue, he said.
"It's a rather complicated situation," St. John said. "It would take months."
Harrington pointed out that every business that needed a liquor license was paid in full on all fees and taxes to get the proper permitting. MJD is not only behind on the taxes but it still has not received a permit from the Planning Board. Butler said the company still has allotted time to get the Planning Board's permit.
"The only thing outstanding is the tax," Butler said. "They got their first permit and they are still in that window to get the second one."
The Selectmen also debated over the Lake Ashmere mitigation process at the Greylock Glen after Community Development Director Donna Cesan said the Department of Conservation and Recreation is still further researching the creation of about 2 acres of wetlands.
The state lost wetlands after the Hinsdale dam at Lake Ashmere was renovated and the DCR has requested those to be recreated at the Greylock Glen. According to Cesan, one possible location for those wetlands is on the location of a former shed, which is now just a concrete pad. That site would not interfere with the Greylock Glen Project and would enhance the scenery, she said.
Selectmen Chairman Michael Ouellette said the site would help make the land that has little or no use match what the town is trying to do with the project.
However, some Selectmen voiced concern that it could cause problems with the project. Wetlands have caused problems with projects at the site many times before, Cesan agreed.
"We don't want anything to derail out project," Cesan said. "We need to be comfortable. We've worked years on this."
Melville said she wanted any agreement to match what the DCR presented and be written on paper before moving forward.
No final decisions have been reached yet, Censa said.
