Selectmen elect Sobalvarro chairwoman and Sklar vice chairman
At their May 7 meeting the Selectmen reorganized the board, voting unanimously for Marie Sobalvarro as chairwoman, and newcomers Stu Sklar and Leo Blair as vice chairman and clerk, respectively. Sobalvarro was nominated by outgoing chairwoman Lucy Wallace; Sklar was nominated by new member Leo Blair.
Great Elms barn holds surprises
in its storage space
Old country barns survive long after the farmland and milk cows are gone for one good reason: abundant storage. Where else could you store an old fountain? Or a bridge that used to span a nearby brook? Selectman Ron Ricci told the BOS this week that both of those artifacts can be found in the Great Elms barn on Stow Road, which also shelters the rowing club’s shells during the winter. But the bridge, the fountain, and the shells will all be looking for new homes soon, when the barn is torn down as part of a redevelopment plan.
According to Ricci, the sale of the Great Elms property to the Chelmsford Housing Authority (CHA) is moving forward on schedule and should be completed by the end of August. The CHA is considering two alternative plans to redevelop and expand the affordable housing at Great Elms from the existing five units to a total of nine. In preparation for that, the CHA is in the process of relocating the existing tenants, which is expected to happen by early August. One tenant has a child in the Harvard schools, Ricci said, so the CHA hopes to find a way to avoid disrupting the child’s education here.
In early September, Ricci will help the CHA find a venue for outreach to neighbors, he said, as they evaluate development options. “In the end it will be a very good solution,” predicted board member Lucy Wallace, referencing the financial burden of maintaining and restoring the old farmhouse. Ricci agreed, noting that the CHA has the experience and resources to make redevelopment viable.
And in other business…
Town Administrator Tim Bragan announced that the four Home Rule Petitions passed at Town Meeting are in the hands of the state legislature. The petitions are: to allow detail work for police until age 70; to ensure that the Elderly and Disabled Taxation Aid Committee includes the position of director of Council on Aging; to broaden the liquor licenses the BOS can grant; and to exempt the town from having to pay prevailing wages on certain local projects.
Bragan reported that Town Hall is scheduled to move its offices to the Appleworks building August 1 through 7. The present building will be open on Thursday, August 1, for property tax payments, and will reopen at its new site on August 7 or 8. Bragan mentioned that in the construction, the large evergreen will have to come down, as it sits right where the new electric pad needs to be located. According to Bragan, tree warden Christian Bilodeau has said that the tree is not worth saving.
On May 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Room Kathy Ross, respresenting the Community Preservation Alliance, will give a presentation on changes to the Community Preservation Act and the status of the state trust fund, among other topics. The meeting is open to the public.
In a series of action items, the Selectmen approved the promotion of Robert Szocik, currently with the Public Works Department, to the position of equipment operator; endorsed Bromfield senior Patrick Ware as an Eagle Scout; and approved the Positive Spin for ALS Ride on September 29, which goes through a small section of Harvard. The Selectmen will hold their strategic planning session at Fruitlands on June 4 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and hold a brief regular meeting in the Town Hall Meeting Room at 7 p.m.
