Boxford voters approve windmill rules, health board petition
Voters at the second night of Boxford’s Town Meeting last Thursday approved a bylaw regulating the construction of wind turbines as well as a petition to allow taxpayers to veto Board of Health decisions.
In a separate petition that would allow the town to oust local elected officials, Town Meeting moved to form a study committee instead. The committee will investigate the issue further and eventually make recommendations to the town.
Town Meeting began on Tuesday, May 12 and was continued to last Thursday after the legislative body denied designs funds for a new senior center as presented in article 11.
The creation of the wind bylaw came in response to a request to build an 80-foot-tall wind turbine on a residential plot in Boxford. Voters passed the new bylaw that will provide guidelines for the town’s regulatory boards that look at wind turbines proposals.
The passage of one article represents the first step in allowing Town Meeting to be able to appeal bylaw changes made by the Board of Health.
This was an initiative petition submitted by Agricultural Commission member Laura Sapienza-Grabski. The move represents an opposition to new horse stable regulations recently adopted by the Board of Health. The issue now needs to go before the state legislature. Voters recently elected Sapienze-Grabski to a Board of Health seat earlier this week during Boxford’s local election.
Town Meeting also voted to increase the tax collector demand late fee from $5 to $10 and approved an article asking for the “acceptance” of three roads in East Boxford, making the legal and eligible for state or federal funding.
By Brendan Lewis
Tri-Town Transcript
20 May 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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