Will Selling Cars Wash Plymouth Down the Drain?

As a Town Meeting Member in Plymouth, you are elected as a representative of the people in your precinct who voted you in. Your voice and your vote is supposed to be a vote of the people.

That being said, as a Town Meeting member, you are also supposed to research the articles that come before you to vote on, learn all sides and the implications of the issue.

While the public may feel strongly one way or another, often your vote can be the opposite, simply because you have been exposed to more information than they have by attending meetings, caucuses, reading the reports, and talking to officials, and vote for the benefit of the town based on your knowledge.

I’ve had this happen a few times, where people questioned my vote, and once I explained my reasons to my constituents, they usually agree that I did the right thing.

This fall, Town Meeting will once again be asked to vote on allowing car dealerships in Colony Place.

In the spring, the article did not pass. It required a super-majority vote of two-thirds to pass. While the article was not defeated, it did not garner the super-majority.

I weighed the benefits and risks carefully. We held two caucuses in my precinct to discuss the article. I watched Advisory and Finance, Planning, and the Board of Selectmen all discuss the article.

Arguments for the article were increased tax revenues and jobs. Both pretty important in a down economy.

Against the article were abutting neighbors complaining about decreasing their property values, the nuisance of living next to a dealership, lighting and visual marketing concerns. Residents in general were concerned about increased traffic in the area, the potential for even more dealerships on the property formerly considered for the Plymouth River Eels baseball stadium, and many concerned about creating an “Automile.”

There were also some residents who contended that the jobs created would be low-wage, high-turnaround jobs, and not the quality employment we want to attract. Some also felt car dealerships do not add to the quality of life in a town, and simply are not the type of thing we want.

Still others suggested the tax revenue would be a negative benefit for the town due to the extra services we would be required to provide, especially if we incentivized our tax rate through special TIFF agreements, as we had with other businesses.

It was a tough decision to make. Jobs and tax revenue in a down economy, versus quality of life in the town of Plymouth.

To push the issue even further, the proposed site is in the middle of an aquifer protection zone. When we asked the advice of the town’s environmental manager at our caucus, he plainly stated that while the area is currently zoned to allow uses just as bad as a car dealership, such as an oil-change facility or car wash, that car dealerships should not be allowed, and neither should oil-change or auto repair facilities.

For me, that was the tipping point of my scale. Jobs and Taxes vs. Nuisance was pretty balanced, but factor in environmental issues affecting our drinking water, and the scale tipped.

Ironically, there are already areas zoned to allow for dealerships, but the owners don’t like those areas.

I had some fellow reps berate my decision, as well as some constituents, but I felt I could defend my vote pretty well, and it was not based on personal preference or emotion, but on weighing the options and carefully thinking everything through, and considering what the residents I spoke with had to say.

So now, it’s back on the table. Nothing really has changed, except for the fact that our environmental manager has decided to support it. His decision is based on the fact that too much development has already been allowed in the area, which has degraded our town well, and since we’ll need to find a new well, allowing dealerships at this point won’t undo the damage already done.

I have a hard time getting my head around this one.

I’m starting the process all over, with an open mind, and I’ll listen to what everyone has to say.