Politics & Government

Canton Committee Mulls Next Steps After Defeat of Proposed $5.4 Million Public Works Project

While awaiting direction from the Board of Selectmen, members of a town committee charged with working out details for a new highway garage discussed possible ways to move forward after voters defeated a plan to bond up to $5.4 million on a project for 325 Commerce Drive.  

The Permanent Municipal Building Committee met Tuesday night to discuss some ideas since voters rejected the plan 814 to 454 on May 22. Many committee members said they are comfortable with the site and the needs of the town’s Public Works Department but acknowledged that some savings and more public outreach and education would be necessary.

The garage debate in town was contentious at times. Some residents even formed a political action committee, Citizens For A Better Canton, which has since been dissolved, according to paperwork filed at Town Hall. Various opponents questioned the site selection process, the proposed size of nearly 20,000 square feet, the location and/or other factors.

Committee Member David Madigan said he was comfortable with those details, but acknowledged that more could be done to package the information and educate the public. 

“I do believe the fact as presented meets the needs and is not excessive,” he said.

Members also discussed ways to potentially get the price down such as trying to get more estimates before a project vote or providing more flexibility in the engineering but emphasized that they needed selectmen’s guidance before making any decisions.  

While committee member Dymicki said Economic Development Agency member Glenn Arnold made some good points in his comments at the beginning of the meeting (included later in this story) he also said he felt there was false information put forward by some opponents.

Dymicki also said the 18 percent turnout was discouraging.  

Building committee members also felt they had done what the public requested after a proposal to purchase land at 5 Cherry Brook Road was defeated in early 2010 when many community members felt the town needed to develop a complete garage project and establish a zone for municipal structures.

A complete plan for 5 Cherry Brook Road nearly went to voters last fall but was pulled after appraisals came in lower than the proposed purchase price. 

Still, the complete package and preliminary zoning work had all been accomplished, said member Karen Berry.  

“I’m just very frustrated,” she said.  

Chairman Peter Reynolds said he was encouraged that more people see the need for a facility since early 2010 but still felt it is hard to get support for the Public Works department.

“They’re so fundamental to everything to do ,” he said. “That doesn’t seem to garner much interest from the community at large.”  

Although meetings are open, members said it is also difficult due to the process where a plan is basically ready to go before public input comes in.   

“It’s frustrating to feel like you have to be commit on a project before you get any public dialogue,” Reynolds said.  

In his comments, Arnold said he felt there were several ways to solve some of the issues.

“Please allow us to suggest taking a solution approach that will leverage the hard work that has been undertaken up to this point and potentially garner more support from the public,” he said.
 
He suggested several steps, which in brief form are as follows. (Please see attached images for a full letter from Arnold and EDA chairman Kevin Jackson).

  • Create a communication plan among boards, commissions and the public
  • Create and use a common document using standard project planning and       management tools to encourage cooperation and a seam free environment. 
  • Inventory all the existing documentation and determine what can be leveraged moving forward
  • Revisit the Top Ranked sites from Weston & Sampson
  • Determine the Usable Acreage and maximum possible footprint on each of these Top Ranked sites.
  • Create garage designs that will optimize available space with operational capabilities prioritized from highest to lowest and respect to our needs.
  • Identify the operational capabilities (if any) that are not included in each of the designs due to physical space limitations at each site and then be able to make a quantitative decision that clearly communicates to our town what weʼll get for each dollar spent. 
  • Determine which site solution option or options would be supported on a Canton Referendum Vote.
  • Obtain 3 Pre-Referendum Estimates for the potential solutions at each location. Because of relationships the EDA has developed with many Municipal Facility Contractors, we will be happy to procure free design work and bids for any of the top prioritized sites.
  • Present to the Board of Finance potential solutions for each site with corresponding estimates and operational capability gaps.
  • Set measurable expectations and a timeline with deadlines. 
“Members of the EDA look forward to working with the PMBC, the BOS, and the general public to obtain the most broadly acceptable options that the community will be willing to support,” Arnold said.  

While some PMBC members felt some steps had already been taken and the information in some cases simply had to be presented in a more user friendly format, Wednesday morning, Jackson said, “It was very encouraging that the PMBC welcomed our suggestions for cooperation and expressed willingness to work in concert with EDA input." 



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