Three Town Meeting Articles to Watch For on Monday Night

Town Meeting will meet in the new North Reading High School auditorium on Monday night.

The meeting kicks off at 7 p.m.

Here are three Town Meeting articles that could have Town Meeting talking:

Article 10 -- J.T. Berry Property

The article would authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire the 40 acres of the J.T. Berry Property off Lowell Road. The land, which once housed the J.T. Berry Sanatorium, is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Board of Selectmen hopes to purchase the remaining J.T. Berry land and have greater control over what eventually goes there. The Edgewood Luxury Apartments complex was built on the remaining portion of the J.T. Berry land.

Article 13 -- Amend Code - Zoning By-laws -- Registered Marijuana Dispensary

Town Meeting will vote on amending the town’s zoning to regulate marijuana dispensaries.

The town needs to create a bylaw so North Reading can regulate the locations of potential dispensaries. The article, sponsored by the Community Planning Commission, isn’t focusing on whether to support a dispensary or not. By law, towns must allow for dispensaries after Massachusetts voters legalized medical marijuana two years ago.

This article instead will create a bylaw to regulate potential dispensaries and avoid one being put at a location near a school, park, playground or place or worship.

The article also “regulates the size, hours of operation, and process of approval, among other provisions,” according to the warrant article.

Article 18 -- Amend Code -- Add General By-Law -- Sex Offender Residency

The article, sponsored by the Police Department, would limit where Level 3 sex offenders could live. The idea is to keep Level 3 sex offenders away from schools, day care centers and parks, among other places.

North Reading currently has two Level 3 sex offenders with permanent residences in town. This bylaw would not affect Level 3 offenders already residing in their current homes in North Reading.

Photo caption: The new North Reading High School. Photo credit: Geof Simons.