By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – A Special Town Meeting convened on Jan. 17 and deliberated eight Warrant Articles. The meeting concluded in less than an hour. Unanimously approved was the most pressing of the eight articles – Article 4 – authorizing the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court (State Legislature) to allow the town to enter into a series of real estate transactions relevant to the Glavin Center property located on Lake Street as well as other related parcels of land.
As such, the petition will seek to convey land on the east side of Lake Street to the town for agricultural and recreational uses for $1; land on the west side of Lake Street to the Shrewsbury Youth Soccer Association for $1; and land known as the Irving A. Glavin Regional Center and its buildings to the town for general municipal purposes.
The Glavin Center site is one of the two sites (the other is Centech North) that are being considered for the new K-4 Beal Elementary School. This petition will enable the Glavin Center site to be used by the town should that site be deemed suitable.
In other business, Town Meeting approved Articles 5 and 6, accepting land in lieu of foreclosure for a small parcel located at the intersections of Prospect and North streets for public street purposes which cleared the way for widening the intersection.
Article 8 passed with a required two-thirds vote, conveying an easement for drainage purposes, under and across Stoney Hill Road, to Hartford Realty Trust of Shrewsbury. This easement entails 1,000 square feet of land. This article is the best solution to mitigate some icing issues in this area.
“Multiple discussions and designs were submitted to the Conservation Commission to try to remedy the problem that occurs which is an existing wetland and drainage that comes across Stoney Hill Road surface onto the sidewalk which is north of the community mailbox,” explained Town Engineer Jeff Howland. These discussions also included a public hearing.
“By keeping it private, the town will have no maintenance responsibility,” he continued.
The remaining articles passed without discussion pertaining to budget transfers within various departments and Water System Improvement and Sewer surplus accounts. Of note is the passage of Article 7 that authorizes the transfer of funds from the Sherwood Middle School Project short-term note proceeds and transferring those funds to the Library Project, thereby reducing that liability to the town.