Letter: Vote No on Article 13 at Dalton Town Meeting
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To the Editor:
On May 5, the voters of the Town of Dalton will be asked to vote on 31 Articles at the annual Town Meeting. I encourage all voters attending to vote "No" on Article 13.
Article 13 reads:
"To see if Town will rescind the vote taken under Article 1 of the May 1,2017 Annual Town Meeting authorizing the demolition of the old Dalton High School and the sale of the property for the redevelopment for houses in accordance with the Zoning By-Laws of the Town at this site; or take any other action in relation thereto."
(TWO-THIRDS VOTE REQUIRED)
The town did demolish the old Dalton High School. However the site was never re-developed for building lots as voted for by the voters of Dalton.
To the voters who originally voted on May 1, 2017, annual town meeting your vote meant nothing, if it can be changed so easily. So, if voters vote for something at the upcoming town meeting, someone could petition for a special town meeting and rescind that voting result. Doesn't hardly seem right.
The intent of changing the original vote is to the use the site to erect a new ridiculous 13,000 square foot, ten million plus dollar police station. Which the Town doesn’t mention in the text of Article 13. There are more viable alternate plans for a new police station that would cost far less and make a lot more sense.
Why would the town build a police station in the middle of a residential area anyways? If I were a resident in the area I would be outraged.
Why would the town give up six building lots? How much money will the Town lose by not selling these lots, not to mention the tax revenue that could be collected. Doesn’t make much sense, does it? I don’t know why the Town has not developed the building lots like it was supposed to. It’s been eight years since the vote in 2017.
Keep in mind, regardless of what the site will be used for, the site will require millions of dollars to address the repair and upgrade of the Walker Brook culvert system that runs under the site. So, you can add that to the cost of a new police station.
Unfortunately, if you are eligible voter in the Town of Dalton and are not able or do not attend annual town meeting you will not be able to vote on this important article or any other article in the warrant. The town gets to pick your pocket and decide things that affect you without the your vote. This voter discrimination really needs to stop. After all this is the 21st century not the 18th. Of the 4,500 plus registered voters, the town meetings historically are attended by less the 200 voters. Two hundred voters is not 2/3 of 4,500 voters. Why should 200 voters be able to decide the fate of the other 4,300 voters?
I hope the voters attending the May 5 Dalton annual town meeting will vote a resounding "NO" on Article 13.
Bruce Lester
Dalton, Mass.
