Selectmen Candidate John Sonner on an Acton “Burning Issue”

The Acton 2020 Committee, in charge of overseeing the next Comprehensive Community Plan for Acton, has recently created a community blog that they have dubbed, “Burning Issues.” Here, they have raised some basic local issues to encourage concerns from community members to interact with one another in an online forum to better gage an Actonian's point of view.

In spirit of the coming town elections (Tuesday, March 29), Acton Patch chose one “Burning Issue” and asked all three candidates running for Selectmen, which has two open seats, where they stand on the matter.

The “Burning Issue” in question is “Local Shopping.”

Q&A session with Selectmen candidate,  

1). Do you like the current options for shopping stores in Acton?

Sonner: "My opinion is that we have a decent selection of stores considering we’re a town of 20,000, but it could be better.  By far most of my shopping is simply grocery stores and Ace Hardware, with an occasional thrift store visit, so I’ll defer to others on shopping.”

2). What kind of stores would you like to see more of in Acton?

Sonner: “I think the primary role of the selectmen is not to target types of businesses but to work with business owners to determine what we can do to create an environment where there is plenty of demand for them to be in Acton.”

“Personally, I (and my wife and love, Pho) would like to see more restaurants, but I think office space could have the least impact with the largest increase in a tax base and offer the chance for more residents to work close by.”

3). Where are there currently good places in town to locate new small businesses?

Sonner: “Our first priority should be to fill existing retail and office space.  For new space I would hope to see it close to other businesses, to help cluster the commercial space for efficiency and aesthetics.”

4). As a Selectmen, how would you help to make it easier for small businesses to set-up-shop here in Acton?

Sonner: “Short-term, we need to make sure that Acton is a place they can count on to help them locate here, both from a process and an approval standpoint.  Long-term, we need to look at how sewers and transportation can help businesses thrive and how zoning could help target businesses in the areas of town that the citizens most want to see them.”

Town elections are Tuesday, March 29, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Hall. If you have a busy schedule that day or if you are going to be out of town for any particular reason and cannot get yourself to the Town Hall, the last day to file for an absentee ballet is Monday, March 28, no later than noon.

For more information on the elections, contact the Town Clerk's office at 978-929-6620.

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