By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Select Board unanimously voted on Monday night to delay Fall Town Meeting until Nov. 14.
Fall Town Meeting is traditionally held on the third Monday night in October, as required by the Town Charter. Select Board Chairman Phil Crawford said a recent state law change gives select boards the authority to “set the date for any town meeting.”
“This will give the town adequate time to review the development proposal for the Sagamore Spring Golf Club, and allow time to obtain comprehensive cost estimates for the public safety building project,” said Crawford. “We are recommending that Fall Town Meeting be held on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the middle school. This will give us the right amount of time to bring these important subjects to the town with as much information as we can.”
The Select Board also voted to open the Fall Town Meeting warrant on Monday night. Select Board member Joe Connell said the warrant will be closed on Monday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.
“Town boards and departments shall submit articles to the Town Administrator’s Office by no later than Monday, Oct. 17,” said Connell. “Petition articles must be submitted no later than Thursday, Oct. 20 at noon to allow for the certification of signatures.”
The Sagamore Spring Real Estate Trust and Toll Brothers have come to terms on an agreement that will allow the luxury home building company to purchase 36 acres on the golf course’s eastern side. Toll Brothers Massachusetts Senior Vice President Shawn Nuckolls recently told the Planning Board that the project entails constructing 66 two-bedroom detached homes for over-55 housing. The project also involves constructing a clubhouse that will include a fitness center, swimming pool and a common area for residents to use.
Atty. Susan Murphy also told the Planning Board that two warrant articles pertaining to the project are going to be submitted for Fall Town Meeting, one of which is going to ask the legislative body to rezone the 36 acres from Residence D to Elderly Housing. She also noted that the Planning Board voted last January to endorse an Approval Not Required (ANR) plan for Sagamore Spring Golf Club that pertained to the 1287 Main St. property’s eastern side.
The public safety buildings project entails building a new Fire Headquarters next to the existing South Station. The project also seeks to renovate and expand the Police Station, the current Fire Headquarters and Town Hall. The Town Hall component of the project will make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Spring Town Meeting voted to appropriate $325,000 to fund the design of the public safety buildings and Town Hall project. Town Administrator Rob Dolan and Public Safety Building Committee Chairman John Scenna estimated last winter that the project will cost $41.25 million.
“The plan at this point is to move forward with the whole project,” said Crawford in an interview with the Villager after the meeting. “The delay to November will allow the town to get all of the cost estimates in, which is going to take a couple of months. We should have them before Fall Town Meeting. I think it’s a tremendous project, and I hope people will show up to Town Meeting to support it.”
The Select Board will tentatively be discussing both projects on Monday, Sept. 19, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Al Merritt Media and Cultural Center.
