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Special Town Meeting gave the Avery School and Dedham High School athletic complex projects key votes of support, upped Dedham’s meals and hotel taxes, and voted to move the town’s adult zoning to Legacy Place last night.
With Article 4, Town Meeting voted to fund the design and construction of a new $23.37 million Avery School by Pottery Lane. The town has lined up an $11.09 million state grant for the project, and will seek funding for the remainder through a Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion property tax override.
The average Dedham homeowner would need to pay $1,509 toward the school over 25 years, or about $60 per year. But Dedham’s exempt debt will remain constant over the next four to five years – as the town borrows its $12.26 million in Avery funding in six increments, while debt from old projects rolls off the books – said Andy Lawlor, the chairman of the School Building Rehabilitation Committee. That means there will be no net increase in taxes from the Avery project in the short term, Lawlor said.
With Article 5, Town Meeting backed a $3.1 million project to rebuild another deteriorating piece of school infrastructure, the high school’s track and field facility. Town Meeting voted to fund the design and construction of a new 400-meter, six-lane track with an eight-lane straightaway; a synthetic turf field for football, field hockey, lacrosse and soccer; home bleachers that would seat 1,000 spectators; and a new press box, PA system and multiuse scoreboard. That project, too, now goes to the voters in a special election expected to be held in January.
After some debate, meeting members voted 148 to 48 to approve a substitute motion from the Board of Selectmen for Article 6, raising Dedham’s meals tax from 6.25 percent to 7 percent. The Finance Committee had recommended, 6-3, that the measure be indefinitely postponed. It was the only standing vote of the night; everything else passed by voice vote.
With Article 7, Town Meeting increased the hotel tax from 4 percent to 6 percent. Both new taxes will begin to be collected Jan. 1. Through Article 3, Town Meeting also created a major capital facilities stabilization fund. Selectmen want to devote the new tax revenue to that fund to pay for new town buildings or major improvements to existing facilities, but future Town Meetings would decide whether to move money into or out of the fund.
And with Article 9, Town Meeting voted to move Dedham’s adult zoning from Allied Drive, Carematrix Drive and Blue Hill Drive to four parcels at the Legacy Place development and three properties just farther north on Stergis Way.
Special Town Meeting gave the Avery School and Dedham High School athletic complex projects key votes of support, upped Dedham’s meals and hotel taxes, and voted to move the town’s adult zoning to Legacy Place last night.
With Article 4, Town Meeting voted to fund the design and construction of a new $23.37 million Avery School by Pottery Lane. The town has lined up an $11.09 million state grant for the project, and will seek funding for the remainder through a Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion property tax override.
The average Dedham homeowner would need to pay $1,509 toward the school over 25 years, or about $60 per year. But Dedham’s exempt debt will remain constant over the next four to five years – as the town borrows its $12.26 million in Avery funding in six increments, while debt from old projects rolls off the books – said Andy Lawlor, the chairman of the School Building Rehabilitation Committee. That means there will be no net increase in taxes from the Avery project in the short term, Lawlor said.
With Article 5, Town Meeting backed a $3.1 million project to rebuild another deteriorating piece of school infrastructure, the high school’s track and field facility. Town Meeting voted to fund the design and construction of a new 400-meter, six-lane track with an eight-lane straightaway; a synthetic turf field for football, field hockey, lacrosse and soccer; home bleachers that would seat 1,000 spectators; and a new press box, PA system and multiuse scoreboard. That project, too, now goes to the voters in a special election expected to be held in January.
After some debate, meeting members voted 148 to 48 to approve a substitute motion from the Board of Selectmen for Article 6, raising Dedham’s meals tax from 6.25 percent to 7 percent. The Finance Committee had recommended, 6-3, that the measure be indefinitely postponed. It was the only standing vote of the night; everything else passed by voice vote.
With Article 7, Town Meeting increased the hotel tax from 4 percent to 6 percent. Both new taxes will begin to be collected Jan. 1. Through Article 3, Town Meeting also created a major capital facilities stabilization fund. Selectmen want to devote the new tax revenue to that fund to pay for new town buildings or major improvements to existing facilities, but future Town Meetings would decide whether to move money into or out of the fund.
And with Article 9, Town Meeting voted to move Dedham’s adult zoning from Allied Drive, Carematrix Drive and Blue Hill Drive to four parcels at the Legacy Place development and three properties just farther north on Stergis Way.
Dedham resident E.F. Martin proposed that Town Meeting approve the new district minus the two most visible parcels at Legacy Place, and that the adult zoning study committee could examine properties in town anew and return next spring with more additions to the district. But Town Meeting went with the study committee’s recommendation – seemingly concluding more than a year of adult zoning planning, debates, and changes.
Of the 12 articles last night, only Article 11 did not pass. The measure, concerning the treasurer-collector position, was rendered moot after the governor signed a bill last week amending the town’s charter to formally create the combined position. In reality, Robin Reyes has been covering the duties of both since March 2008.
For more from Town Meeting, see Thursday’s Dedham Transcript.
Dedham Transcript staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
