Land Purchase for Sharon High School Tops Special Town Meeting Warrant

Residents will have their say on eight articles this Monday when the town holds the Special Town Meeting at 7 p.m. at Sharon High School.

The biggest article on the warrant is article two which would allow the town to buy land adjacent to Sharon High School.

If approved, $375,000 will be used to purchase 175 Pond Street and demolish the home that currently sits on the sq. ft. property.

The purchase of the land would be for any prospective renovation and expansion of the high school in the future. Currently, there are no set plans for what the property will be used for.

The demolition of the building is contingent on a report from the Sharon Historical Commission due to a bylaw that gives them a say on the removal of buildings over 100 years old.

Article one will ask voters to transfer $7,660 from the treasurer’s department to accounting in order to smooth over some personal changes.

Article three is aimed at helping the new public safety building project with a transfer of $769,000 in borrowed money from the exempt standing building middle school project to the exempt standing public safety building project.

Article four will allow for a feasibility study on renovating or expanding the the Sharon Public Library. Originally, this was voted on at the Annual Town Meeting with the possibility of matching funds. The town was unable to obtain the matching funds and this article reaffirms the town’s desire to go ahead with the study without the extra funds.

Article five will ask the town to appropriate $38,362.86 for new portable radios and related equipment for the Sharon Fire Department.

Article six proposes that the town uses $45,000 from the Community Preservation Fund to replace windows and perform roof repairs at the South Pleasant Street School Housing Development Center and give some additional money that was for repairs at the Sharon Public Library.

Article Seven is a proposal from Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School to create a stabilization funds made of up contributions from the towns within the school district. This is the only article to not receive a recommendation from the Finance Committee or the Board of Selectmen, partially due the school district being about to use the funds without approval from the towns.

Article eight would align the town’s animal regulations with changes made in the state’s animal control laws.

To read the warrant, click here.