Weston Planning Board creates vice chair to handle chair's recused matters

WESTON — January 15, 2020 — Weston Planning Board creates a recusal-specific vice chair, sidestepping a push to remove its chair midterm. Chair Tony, recused since 2015 on the 255 Merriam Street development in his own neighborhood, read a prepared statement calling a Jan. 8 motion by member Alicia to replace him with three co-chairs "an unnecessary and unfortunate ambush" and proposed instead a standing vice chair to lead the board on recused matters. The motion passed unanimously; town counsel confirmed the Planning Board statute provides no midterm removal right. Members Sue and Alicia said the board had been "literally bushwhacked" at Town Meeting on the related TOSD zoning amendment without leadership. After Tony recused, the board unanimously hired former chair Al Aydelott as a consultant to broker a revised 255 Merriam proposal with the Select Board, neighbors and developer, targeting a Jan. 23 or 24 framework presentation.