Around Ashland Town News
Dec 31, 2020 11:42AM ● By Cynthia Whitty
Mindess School building project is scheduled to break ground in late fall of 2021 and open to students in September 2023. (Photo/Cynthia Whitty)
December Town Meeting Results
Eighty-seven residents turned out for the Dec. 8 special town meeting at the Ashland High School gym. The warrant contained articles deferred from June’s annual town meeting. Eleven articles passed; articles 7, 8, and 14 were withdrawn. Notably, residents passed article 6, giving the town the go-ahead to take by eminent domain 12-16 Union St., property gifted to the town in 2018 for a public safety building, not yet deeded to the town. The town manager said the town is now looking to go through the eminent domain process to acquire the gifted land and land for an easement requested by the property owner.
The Public Safety Building (artist rendering) and the Mindess School building project require a town meeting and a ballot vote. (Photo/supplied)
Upcoming Special Town Meeting and Election
To fund two proposed building projects, the Public Safety Building and Mindess School, which require a town meeting and a ballot vote, the town is tentatively planning—at the time of this writing in mid-December—a second special town meeting on Jan. 9 and a special town election, Jan. 13.
The town will offer absentee voting for the election. To obtain an absentee ballot application, visit the town clerk’s website, www.ashlandmass.com/219/Elections-Voting, or the Mass. Secretary of State website, www.sec.state.ma.us, or contact the Town Clerk’s Office, 508-881-0101, x7127, [email protected]. For information on dates and other town meeting updates, contact the town manager’s office or visit www.ashlandmass.com/449/Town-Meeting.
For updates on the public safety building, visit www.ashlandmass.com/756/Public-Safety-Building-Project or www.facebook.com/ashlandpsb, and on the Mindess School buidling project, visit mindessschoolbuildingproject.ashland.k12.ma.us or email [email protected].
Downtown Revitalization Project Update
The downtown construction project will begin in early January, according to a town spokesperson. The contractor, P. Gioioso & Sons Inc., will complete the project—from Main/Myrtle Street (Mill Pond Dam) to just beyond Summer/Front streets to Ashland Lumber—in two phases.
The project includes upgrading traffic signals, sidewalks, and crosswalks, resurfacing pavement, and installing trees, ornamental street lights, underground the utilities (electric, cable, fiber), and removing utility poles. The first phase includes Test Pits and relocating water services, installing electrical vaults (Eversource), manholes for other utilities, and conduits.
