Vote NO on April 1st!

It has been my policy never to respond personally to comments from letters written from my fellow townspeople.  We all deserve to have our point of view.  The very fact that the upcoming referendum vote on April 1st is generating this town wide discussion is exactly why some concerned citizens, including myself, gathered over 300 signatures in some pretty lousy weather.  After attending the Special Town Meeting on February 6th, I and others left with more questions than answers.

Because of the language and set up of Article One concerning a town-owned 18,000 ft. parcel, many other issues about the project could not be answered or discussed as per Town Meeting rules.  Article One was passed with just 184 Wakefield citizens collectively voting.  My feeling, along with others attending this meeting, is that this proposed project is huge.  Many financial issues, among others, were impossible to understand, let alone fact check, at the Town Meeting.

By having this referendum, it gives the townspeople a chance to take a step back, do the required research, ask questions and then let the voters of Wakefield decide the future of their downtown.  As an example of what happens when townspeople are not paying attention, I would like to point to the head of the lake.

After two town meetings and one referendum vote, we finally got the beautiful Gertrude Spaulding Park, built on the former Lanai Island site.  Years later, almost overnight, huge hideous power poles went up alongside our park to supply additional power to the former American Mutual building.  Partnering with others, we as a town, are stuck with the task of correcting this eyesore that never should have happened to begin with.

My point is, the poles can be corrected.  Building a five-story building with hip roofs that may add up to another story and a half will overwhelm the scale of this section of downtown and surrounding neighborhood to the rear.  This, unlike power poles, if built, is irreversible in our lifetime.  My question is, why were there no elevation renderings of this proposed project including its relationship to the surrounding downtown and neighborhood?  Why did our town officials even discuss this project with Brightview without them supplying these renderings?

The excuse of not drawing them due to cost considerations before a possible deal is finalized would not be the correct answer!  In my viewpoint, this project will not have any measurable positive impacts on the current downtown parking status.  The horrible financial deal between Brightview and the town has been written about in previous letters.

Please vote NO on April 1st.

Bob McLaughlin