Canton’s annual town meeting kicks off Monday, May 12
By Jay TurnerRestrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries, a major alteration to the municipal election calendar, and the town’s first ever batch of Community Preservation Act (CPA) projects are some of the many interesting items up for discussion at the 2014 annual town meeting, which kicks off at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 12, in the Canton High School auditorium.
In a year in which the town’s budget outlook is both strong and relatively certain, the warrant itself is actually quite compact in comparison to previous years — with only 26 “active” articles and one major zoning change being proposed. However, there will still be plenty for voters to digest, including a long list of proposed free cash transfers and a pair of intriguing yet controversial citizens’ petitions that are moving forward despite opposition from several town officials.
One such petition, spearheaded by former Conservation Commission member Bruce Rohr, aims to improve voter turnout by shifting the annual town election from April to November so that it coincides, at least in the even-numbered years, with state and federal elections. The move would require a special act of the state legislature via a home rule petition, as current Massachusetts law mandates that all town elections must be held in the months of February, March, April, May or June.
A second citizen’s petition, submitted by Bruce Beckham and appearing in the warrant as Article 20, requests that the town appropriate funding to construct a new sidewalk on Chapman Street from Washington to Beaumont streets. Supporters of the measure are concerned about the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists on Chapman Street — one of the most heavily traveled roadways in Canton. They plan to press for the funding at town meeting despite the unanimous opposition of FinCom, which voted 6-0 to indefinitely postpone the article, citing limited roadway funds and concerns that the Chapman Street project would “delay repairs of other streets that are in greater need.”
As for zoning articles, only five proposals made it onto the warrant this year — all sponsored by the Planning Board — and two have since been withdrawn, including an “inclusionary zoning” amendment (Article 12) that would have established a mandatory affordable housing requirement for multi-unit residential projects. Article 16, which would have reduced the scope of the Canton Center Economic Opportunity District to protect certain residential neighborhoods, has also been withdrawn.
Of the remaining zoning proposals, the most substantial change involves a new set of special requirements for registered marijuana dispensaries. In 2012, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot initiative that legalized medical marijuana, and current law allows for the approval of up to 35 dispensaries across the state.
The special requirements proposed under Article 13 would apply to any such dispensary in Canton and would limit their placement to industrial zones. In addition, dispensaries would not be permitted within 500 feet of any residential development, school, house of worship, day care center, park, playground, or any facility in which children commonly congregate. The requirements would also prohibit consumption of marijuana on the premises and would require the dispensary to file an annual report with the town …
See the page 1 article in this week’s Canton Citizen for an in-depth preview of the 2014 town meeting, or click here to view the ATM warrant.
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Posted by Jay Turner
on May 8 2014. Filed under Uncategorized.
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