By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — Fall Town Meeting is just around the corner, on Monday, October 7. As is the tradition of the Select Board, all members of the public are invited to participate in the prequel to Town Meeting next Monday night, Sept. 30, when a public hearing will be held starting at 8 p.m. during which questions on any of the 17 warrant articles and additional information and clarification can be sought.

The hybrid meeting will be held both in person in Room 14 of Town Hall and virtually via a Zoom link on the town website.   

Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto told the Transcript that the printed versions of the October Town Meeting warrant were mailed to all residential households late last week and slated for arrival on Friday, Saturday or Monday. For those who prefer an electronic version there is a link on the home page of the town website northreadingma.gov —  specifically, https://www.northreadingma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3591/f/news/town_meeting_warrant_booklet_10-7-2024.pdf

If you have not yet registered to vote, you may do so in person by 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 at Town Hall or go online to the secretary of state’s website.

There are just 17 warrant articles this year (a complete list is included inside to today’s Transcript). Although there are many boilerplate matters that must be attended to by the voters, a few have generated lots of interest. Among them are:

• Article 9 Amend FY2025 Capital Budget

• Article 10 Appropriate Money for Chestnut Street Bridge

• Article 11 Appropriate Money for Fire Department Ladder Truck

• Article 13 Amend Code – Zoning Bylaws – Establishment of Lowell Road Multi-Family Zoning Overlay District (MBTA Zoning)

• Article 14 Amend Code – Zoning Bylaws – Changes to Site Plan Review, Article XVII (MBTA Zoning)

• Article 15 Amend Code – Zoning Bylaws – Section 200-30 Zoning Map (MBTA Zoning)

• Article 16 Amend Code – General Bylaws – Chapter 172 § 172-13 – Town Meeting – Determination of Vote

• Article 17 Appropriate Funding for Electronic Voting Devices

MBTA Communities Act

Articles 13, 14 and 15 all concern the adoption of changes to the town’s zoning bylaws due to the passage of state legislation back in January of 2021 requiring the 177 communities in and around the MBTA to allow a zoning district or districts that would enable the development of multifamily housing at a density of 15 units per acre by right. By contrast, the Ch. 40B law sets the density at eight units per acre and many residential neighborhoods in town have a density of one unit per acre.

Voters will also be asked to find the funds to fix the Chestnut Street bridge, replace the town’s ladder truck and consider the purchase of electronic clickers that could be used at future Town Meetings to tally votes instead of the manual counting of hands or paper ballots.