Two Citizen's Petitions Submitted For Special Town Meeting

With the deadline for citizen’s petition warrant articles on the 2012 Chelmsford Special Town Meeting ballot, a pair of initiatives has been accepted for a decision later this fall.

The first would institute a “Residents Only” process for access to Freeman Lake and Varney Playground.

If passed, the measure would allow Chelmsford residents to purchase a $10 sticker that would give access to the lake and playground as well as access to a “Residents Only” parking area near the two locations.

Non-residents would also be able to enter the playground and lake for a $5 fee per person, excluding children under six months old.

Sponsors of the petition cite that the fee would help defrays costs for monitoring the areas as well as helping hire a lifeguard for the lake.

The second article, sponsored by Betty Fredericks, asks for the reinstatement of the town’s Mobile Home Park Rent Control Bylaws.

Originally passed in 1981, the bylaws were deleted entirely ten years later, leading to a major escalation in rent prices at the Chelmsford Mobile Home Park near the Chelmsford/Westford border.