By NEIL ZOLOT
NORTH READING — The School Committee voted to endorse Article 1, the purchase of 1 Central Street, at the Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, January 30.
The 4-0 recommendation with one member absent was voted during the board’s meeting on Monday night.
The members opted to provide their recommendations on Articles 2 and 3 on the floor of Town Meeting.
“The Select Board would appreciate a recommendation from us, so I’m inclined to talk about it,” Committee Chair Scott Buckley said, although he began the discussion by saying, “My thought is we don’t vote on purchasing property; the town does that,” in reference to the proposed purchase of 1 Central Street, a half-acre lot with a single-family house.
“We typically would not make a recommendation on the purchase of a parcel of land that does not directly relate to the school district, but I think this parcel could be a little different,” Buckley explained. “First, this parcel is adjacent to Ipswich River Park where many students participate in sports and other events. At a minimum, this purchase could provide additional opportunities to children for sports or recreational activities. Second, there is discussion about possibly building an intergenerational community center somewhere in this vicinity, which could again provide some opportunities for children in town. Third, the school buses we rent are currently parked at Ipswich River Park so this purchase could impact the contract and parking location.”
Before the meeting Buckley speculated that the School Committee “might want to weigh in on large purchases that use town funds since those funds could be allocated to other uses.”
“I understand that land is at a premium and it’s not often that an opportunity arises for the town to purchase land centrally located and adjacent to important public spaces such as Ipswich River Park,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly stated. “I’m not sure if the potential future use of this space would directly impact the schools, but it could certainly benefit the youth of North Reading as well as the community as a whole.”
“It has a bearing on students and children,” member Noelle Rudloff noted.
Committee Vice Chair Rich McGowan agreed with his colleagues, stating the passage of Article 1 “makes sense.” Member Dyana Boutwell also voted in favor of Article 1. Member Jeff Friedman was unable to attend Monday’s meeting.
The Special Town Meeting requires a minimum quorum of 150 voters and passage of Article 1 would require a two-thirds majority.
According to an explanation provided by the Town Administrator’s office on the town’s website specific to the Special Town Meeting, the property at 1 Central Street “abuts town-owned land that includes the current Recreation Center, Parks and Recreation maintenance building, and overflow parking for Ipswich River Park. Considerations for potential future uses have included an indoor recreation facility, an updated Parks maintenance building, and/or an intergenerational community center, although other potential municipal uses may be identified in the future. Depending on the eventual use, state legislative approval may be required.”
The explanation continues: “Regardless of the potential future use of the site, the acquisition of the single family lot at 1 Central Street would provide additional contiguous land and frontage on Central Street. This purchase price is $650,000 and is anticipated to be funded using available funds without the need for a debt exclusion or override.”
Articles 2 and 3 are proposals to amend the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, specifically the operating budget in Article 2, if necessary, and the capital budget in Article 3. Components of the capital budget amendment include supplemental funding for continued design development for the fire station renovation project, safety improvements to the intersection of North and Central Streets, and water tank repainting.