Dedham Town Meeting Narrowly Approves Manor Fields Proposal

DEDHAM, MA — At Dedham's Annual Fall Town Meeting last month, members voted on 16 warrant articles, two of which passed by a narrow margin. One of the articles was on the Manor Fields Project and the second was focused on extending a moratorium on a mixed-use development.

Article 6, on the Manor Fields Project, proposed funding for a $14-million recreation complex on Town land known as the Striar Property or Capen Woods. The article passed on a two-thirds vote, with 148 members for and 75 against. The passage signified that the proposal will now move on to a town-wide vote.

There was controversy around the vote being so close, with the first vote yielding 144 votes out of 218 members voting, and a second vote yielding 148 votes out of 223 members voting. Town Counsel prepared a legal opinion (PDF) to address questions people may have about the closeness of the vote.

Under the proposal, Dedham households can expect a tax increase of about $81 a year for 20 years.

Article 13 was another close call for Town Meeting voters. The article was proposed by the Planning Board, proposed extending moratorium on mixed-use development to allow the consultants working on the impact analysis to conclude their work. The measure passed by a two-thirds vote.