ESSEX — The bulk of Essex’s 2-hour Special Town Meeting was taken up in discussion of an article proposing zoning districts that those attending believed needed more fine-tuning.
Special Town Meeting tackled a 17-article warrant Monday evening at Essex Elementary School and wrapped up in just over two hours. Town Moderator Jeffery Jones officially started the meeting at 6:53 p.m. and banged his gavel to adjourn it at 9:11 p.m.
About 300 residents were in attendance, overflowing the 250 or seats in the school’s gymnasium, so that about 50 voters were forced to stand at the back of and along the sides of the gym.
The controversial Article 3, which would have created new residential zoning districts, took up the bulk of the discussion before its was indefinitely postponed. A motion to reconsider the decision was later defeated by a show of hands.
“Essex has not historically had residential districts,” Planning Board Chairperson Lisa O’Donnell said of the article. “This is one way to manage our land.”
“Input from several meetings helped steer the creation of the Rural Residential District and the Village Residential District,” she said, referring to a series of meetings, including a public hearing, that were held over the past several weeks. The new districts would have provided formal protections from potential businesses for residential property owners.
But several people spoke out against the measure, saying it could possibly hinder businesses interests.
“This will be the fourth time we’ve tried to rezone,” resident Wesley “Wes” Burnham said. “This would be exclusionary. This map behind me is insulting.”
Burnham said while the intent was positive, the measure needed to be reworked.
“I’m going to ask you to vote this down,” he said. “You’ve got to come up with a better plan.”
However, resident Vickie Cataldo said she believes the article would not keep business out of Essex.
“I urge you to support it,” she said.
Several residents said while they supported the intent of the article, it could stand to be improved upon.
“I support this,” Shelley Bradbury said. “It’s not perfect but we have to start somewhere.”
“I’m not 100% against it,” Samuel Crocker said. “It needs some work. I think it’s a great start but I think it needs to go back and be tweaked.”
State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, who attended the meeting as a nonvoting member, addressed the crowd.
“So many people are invested in what’s taking place in the community,” Tarr said. “I’m so proud of the community for engaging in this debate.”
Here is how Special Town Meeting voted on the warrant:
1. Spend $1,800 for unpaid bills from past fiscal years. Approved.
2. Amend the zoning bylaws to delete the definition of “non-conforming use, pre-existing” and add the definitions of “non-conforming, pre-existing.” Approved.
3. Amend the town’s zoning map by adding the “Village Residential Zoning District” and “Rural Residential Zoning District” to the map. Indefinitely postponed.
4. Amend Section 2-10 of the town’s bylaws by adding language related to fees regarding the Conservation Commission and “application fees.”
5. Pay $525,000 for a new ambulance for the Fire Department. Approved.
6. Pay $141,000 for new Police Department vehicles and dispose of existing police vehicles. Approved.
7. Pay for a new pickup truck and plow for the Water Department and to dispose of the old truck used by the department. Indefinitely postponed.
8. Pay $25,000 for the design of a new municipal fuel depot on town-owned property. Approved.
9. Pay $7,500 for new computer hardware systems with the related software and replace the “client connection” hardware for the town’s desktop servers. Approved.
10. Raise $259,202 to design and build improvements to the town’s water supply wells, with the money appropriated to be added to the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds appropriated for the town. Approved.
11. Raise $15,000 to be used as a match to a state legislative earmark for further study of environmental issues associated with Chebacco Lake, Alewife Brook and the surrounding watershed. Approved.
12. Add money to the Building Capital Improvement Fund and the Recreational Capital Improvements Fund. The money is to be used to pay for repairs at Town Hall and THOP Burnham Library, to Conomo Point, and for the Maintenance and Improvement Fund. In addition, money is to be appropriated for the dredging match, town celebrations, the school apportionment, climate change and the downtown beautification funds. Approved.
13. Raise $25,000 to design, engineer and construct repairs, upgrades, improvements and replacements to the town’s municipal sewer system, including the replacement of grinder pumps and related equipment. Approved.
14. Replenish by $9,450 the Finance Committee’s Reserve Fund for fiscal 2025. Approved.
15. Fund the town’s Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust Fund by $263,126. Approved
16. Amend the fiscal 2025 Wage & Salary Scale approved by annual Town Meeting on May 6. Indefinitely postponed.
17. Amend the fiscal 2025 operating budgets (General Fund, Water Enterprise Fund, Sewer Enterprise Fund) and to pay for any amendments that are made. Approved
Stephen Hagan can be reached at 978-675-2708 or at shagan@gloucestertimes.com.