REVISED City Council Meeting
Council approved multiple National Grid pole petitions (2024-089 Poplar St Ext; 2024-090 Main St & Merrimack St; 2024-091 Union St; 2024-092 118 Market St; 2024-093 120 Market St; 2024-094 Oakland St; 2024-095 Highland St) with safety and siting stipulations; adopted Ordinance 2024-083 establishing a Community Preservation Committee (as amended); and referred zoning measures including 2024-096 (REDD expansion), 2024-098 (MBTA Communities overlay), and 2024-099 (cannabis license limits) for further review with public hearings on Sept 24.
The City Council meeting focused on appointments, multiple National Grid pole petitions, the adoption of a Community Preservation Act (CPA) committee ordinance, and referrals of significant zoning bills for further review. The Council approved three mayoral appointments to the finance and housing authority posts and approved the monthly licenses list. National Grid presented seven separate pole petitions across Poplar Street Extension, Main/Merrimack Streets, Union Street, Market Street/Auzman Street (two petitions), Oakland Street, and Highland Street; each petition was approved with stipulations such as Dig Safe notification and minimum setbacks from pavement, and one petition (Main/Merrimack) was amended to require notification to the Conservation Commission.
Land-use and policy items drew substantial attention: the Council adopted Ordinance 2024-083 to establish a Community Preservation Committee after amending committee composition, and it withdrew a package of proposed City Council rule changes (2024-016 through 2024-022). Several zoning and ordinance proposals were referred for detailed review and public hearings on Sept 24, including 2024-096 (expanding the Renewable Energy Development Overlay District), 2024-098 (MBTA Communities overlay compliance), 2024-099 (cannabis retail license limits), and 2024-097 (easement acceptance at 130 Market St) with a request that the DPW Director attend the second reading. A proposed transfer of Council training funds to the City Clerk’s training line (2024-100) was tabled to the Sept 24 meeting.
Public comment and correspondence heavily featured concerns about a proposed large solar project (Syncarpha) within the Lake Attitash/Meadowbrook watershed: residents and the Lake Attitash Association submitted detailed memoranda and spoke about stormwater, tree clearing, potential impacts to lake water quality and cyanobacteria blooms, mapping inaccuracies, and communication problems with the applicant. Councilors acknowledged these concerns and referred the zoning change for the proposed solar project (2024-096) to multiple committees and the Planning Board so a fuller review, presentations from the administration, and public hearings can take place.