Select Board Drops Regis Zoning From Warrant

In this report: Key decisions · Next dates · Full report · Sources

What happened

The board voted unanimously to remove the HYM/Regis College zoning article from the November 23 warrant, citing incomplete Planning Board review; the project will not go to a vote at this meeting. Board member Lise N. Revers withdrew her support for a leaf blower noise bylaw after hearing from landscapers, undermining the prior characterization of unanimous board support. Two Community Preservation Committee-sponsored articles failed to advance and did not appear on the warrant.

Key decisions

• 📋 HYM/Regis College zoning bylaw and map amendment. The board voted unanimously to remove the combined zoning bylaw and map amendment from the November 23 warrant, citing the compressed timeline and ongoing Planning Board review. Planning Board Chair Alex Selbig stated the board had not yet voted on a recommendation for the project. (Vote Unanimous). Read case details
• 💰 Operating budget amendments and capital items. The board approved Articles 1 through 6 as a consent agenda, including $61,100 in operating budget amendments and $135,640 in capital items for town and school facilities. The board separately approved the remaining warrant articles including Community Preservation Committee-funded projects. (Vote Unanimous; Next: Nov. 23). Read case details
• 📜 Gas leaf blower noise bylaw Article 11. Board member Lise N. Revers publicly withdrew her personal support for the gas leaf blower noise bylaw (Article 11), citing landscaper concerns about the bylaw creating an untenable situation. No motion to remove the article was made; it remained on the warrant with the board's prior unanimous characterization no longer accurate. (Next: Nov. 23). Read case details
• 💰 School building feasibility study funding source. The board voted unanimously to fund the school building feasibility study using available funds, which may include free cash, rather than designating the Stabilization Fund, setting the required town meeting vote threshold at a majority rather than two-thirds. (Vote Unanimous; Next: Nov. 23). Read case details
• 📝 Drabbington Inn lease authorization. The board voted unanimously to include Article 8 on the warrant, authorizing the Select Board to negotiate and execute a master lease of up to 20 years with the Drabbington Inn property proponent, Mr. Parsegian. The authorization does not bind the town to any dollar figure or term length. (Vote Unanimous; Next: Nov. 23). Read case details
• ● Executive session on property negotiation. The board held an executive session under G.L. c. 30A, § 21(a)(6) to discuss the potential purchase, exchange, lease or value of the property. The board returned to open session without disclosing substantive terms, consistent with the agenda. Read case details

Next dates

• Nov. 23: Special town meeting warrant articles vote

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Full meeting report

The complete, section-by-section account of the meeting, 2,740 words, for members.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.