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2 SPENCER NEW LEADER • Friday, November 4, 2011<br />

Nine requests on agenda for Leicester Town Meeting<br />

VOTERS TO DECIDE ZONING BYLAW CHANGES FOR SOLAR PANEL FARMS<br />

BY DAVID DORE<br />

NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER<br />

LEICESTER — New rules for socalled<br />

“solar panel farms” and<br />

monetary requests will be decided<br />

at a Special Town Meeting to be<br />

held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 in the<br />

Town Hall auditorium.<br />

Five of the nine articles would<br />

add language to the town’s zoning<br />

bylaw regarding ground-mounted<br />

solar photovoltaic installations.<br />

Article 5 defines large-scale and<br />

small-scale installations and<br />

explains the process developers<br />

must follow for building and dismantling<br />

a solar panel farm in<br />

Leicester. Articles 6-9 would update<br />

existing sections of the bylaw to list<br />

the zoning districts where solar<br />

panel farms require a special permit<br />

from the Planning Board, and<br />

the districts where they are allowed<br />

following a review by town officials<br />

or engineers.<br />

Under the proposal, large-scale<br />

ground-mounted solar facilities<br />

(which produce at least 250 kilowatts<br />

of electricity) would need<br />

special permits in the Residential 1,<br />

Residential 2 or Central Business<br />

districts, or the Greenville Village<br />

Neighborhood Business District<br />

along Pleasant Street. In other districts,<br />

Town Planner Michelle Buck<br />

said last month, they would be<br />

allowed “by right, with site plan<br />

review.”<br />

Applicants would be required to<br />

present the Planning Board with<br />

evidence they have let National<br />

Grid know they want to connect the<br />

system to the electrical grid.<br />

Systems that will operate off the<br />

grid would be exempt.<br />

“Reasonable efforts, as determined<br />

by the Planning Board” are<br />

to be made to place utility connections<br />

underground, the proposal<br />

states.<br />

The solar panel farm would<br />

require a sign stating the owner of<br />

the system and a 24-hour emergency<br />

contact number. The system<br />

would not display any advertising<br />

except for a “reasonable identification”<br />

of the company that made or<br />

operates it, according to the proposed<br />

bylaw. The owner or operator<br />

of the system would have to provide<br />

copies of plans to local emergency<br />

service agencies.<br />

The amount of vegetation to be<br />

cut <strong>down</strong> would be limited to what<br />

is necessary to install, operate and<br />

maintain the system.<br />

Systems that are abandoned or<br />

decommissioned would need to be<br />

removed, the proposed bylaw<br />

states. The system owner or operator<br />

would have to notify the town by<br />

certified mail when the system will<br />

be taken offline and what the plans<br />

are for removal. The system is to be<br />

removed no later than 150 days<br />

from the date it was decommissioned.<br />

That would mean getting<br />

rid of the solar panels themselves<br />

and their associated equipment,<br />

structures, fencing and transmission<br />

lines; disposing of solid and<br />

hazardous waste; and “stabilization<br />

or re-vegetation of the site as necessary<br />

to minimize erosion.”<br />

The proposed rules also state any<br />

system that fails to operate for at<br />

least one year without written permission<br />

from the Planning Board<br />

would be considered abandoned.<br />

Meanwhile, ground-mounted systems<br />

that produce under 250 kilowatts<br />

of electricity would be<br />

allowed in all zoning districts without<br />

a special permit, and without<br />

the need for site plan review.<br />

The original draft of the bylaw<br />

stated developers would have to<br />

“provide evidence of liability<br />

insurance in an amount and for a<br />

duration sufficient to cover loss or<br />

damage to persons and structures<br />

occasioned by the failure of the<br />

facility.”<br />

Buck said at an Oct. 19 public<br />

hearing the section was removed<br />

because “this level of specificity”<br />

was not in the model bylaw from<br />

the state used to craft Leicester’s<br />

rules.<br />

Based on suggestions made at an<br />

Oct. 4 hearing, Buck also amended<br />

the proposal to state a large-scale<br />

solar panel farm must have at least<br />

50 feet of frontage along a town<br />

roadway. Otherwise, developers<br />

must follow existing rules on the<br />

size of the lot and how far the panels<br />

must be from the property line.<br />

The bylaw is aimed at commercial<br />

solar panel installations that<br />

produce electricity to sell to power<br />

companies such as National Grid.<br />

Residents and businesses wanting<br />

to install solar panels on the roof of<br />

their buildings for their own use<br />

could do so without Planning Board<br />

approval.<br />

If Town Meeting voters sign off<br />

on the zoning bylaw changes, the<br />

Planning Board will update its site<br />

plan review rules and regulations<br />

accordingly. Board members voted<br />

Oct. 19 to both recommend<br />

approval of the bylaw changes and<br />

change their rules and regulations<br />

based on the Town Meeting vote.<br />

Leicester is facing an unofficial<br />

deadline of Dec. 31 for the bylaw<br />

changes to be approved because<br />

that is when tax incentives for<br />

developers are set to expire.<br />

MONEY ARTICLES<br />

Also on the Nov. 8 Town Meeting<br />

warrant are requests to pay bills<br />

from prior fiscal years, fund the<br />

town’s stormwater management<br />

obligations and pay for the study<br />

and repair of town-owned dams.<br />

A copy of the full Town Meeting<br />

warrant is available on the town<br />

website, www.leicesterma.org.<br />

David Dore may be reached at<br />

(508) 909-4140, or by e-mail at<br />

ddore@stonebridgepress.com.<br />

AROUND THE REGION<br />

Tornado Relief Holiday<br />

Decoration Drive<br />

The Girl Scouts of Central Western<br />

Massachusetts are currently sponsoring a<br />

Holiday Decoration Drive for the Victims of<br />

the June tornado in the<br />

Sturbridge/Springfield area.<br />

The Girl Scouts are working on their Spirit<br />

Alive project, which is the highest of the Girl<br />

Scout religious awards. The last part of the<br />

badge involves a service project of their<br />

Craig’s Barber Shop<br />

is pleased to announce<br />

that Chris Menard,<br />

formerly of<br />

“Chris & Gordie’s” in<br />

<strong>Southbridge</strong> is now at<br />

Craig’s Barber Shop<br />

in Spencer.<br />

Walk-ins welcome.<br />

Chris’ hours are Tues,<br />

Thurs, & Fri from 9-6.<br />

Stop by and welcome<br />

Chris to our barber shop!<br />

Craig's Barber Shop<br />

110 Main Street<br />

Spencer, MA 01562<br />

508-885-2414<br />

Your Local Roll-Off Specialist<br />

Homeowner Special<br />

Weekend Rental $<br />

245<br />

10 Yd. Container • 1 ton<br />

10-15-20 Yd.<br />

Roll Off Containers<br />

Weekend Dumpsters<br />

for the Homeowner<br />

Houses • Attics • Cellars<br />

Construction Sites<br />

508-892-4193 • 508-769-6603<br />

Leicester, MA<br />

Fully Insured<br />

choice.<br />

We are setting up a drive to collect decorations,<br />

etc. to make Christmas/Holiday boxes<br />

for families in the Brimfield and Springfield<br />

area who were affected by the tornado this<br />

past year. With the Holidays fast approaching<br />

we don’t want anyone to be left out of the celebrations.<br />

New and gently used items will be<br />

greatly appreciated.<br />

Drop Off Locations are as follows: East<br />

Brookfield Baptist Church, Route 9, East<br />

Brookfield, The Clam Box, Route 9,<br />

Brookfield, East Brookfield Elementary<br />

School, Route 9, East Brookfield, Klem’s,<br />

Route 9, Spencer, Spencer Public Library,<br />

Pleasant Street, Spencer.<br />

For more information, please contact:<br />

Spirit Alive Candidate, Mikaela Lachapelle<br />

at 508-885-6549.<br />

Hill to trek to D.C. with<br />

notes to Obama<br />

BOSTON — BJ Hill, the 35-year-old<br />

Massachusetts man who walked across<br />

America in 2008 to collect messages for the<br />

incoming President of the United States, will<br />

walk 450 miles to the White House to present<br />

the notes to President Barack Obama on Dec.<br />

1.<br />

Hill set out from San Francisco in March<br />

2008 and walked 4,250 miles through 24 states.<br />

He carried a blank leather-bound journal and<br />

asked people he met write their personal<br />

message for the soon-to-be-elected President<br />

of the United States. By the time he finished<br />

in Boston ten-and-half-months later, he had<br />

collected thousands of handwritten missives,<br />

from welfare recipients to business owners to<br />

teachers and farmers, on topics ranging from<br />

the economy, the environment, UFO<br />

research, to the War on Terrorism, even<br />

notes of congratulations and advice for marital<br />

bliss.<br />

“When I returned home I tried to contact<br />

the White House several times, but was<br />

repeatedly told the president was too busy,”<br />

Hill said. “Eventually I started writing a<br />

book, found a job with a social service agency<br />

in Worcester, volunteered in Haiti and<br />

Alabama, and gradually laid the journals<br />

aside. But last month I picked up the project<br />

again and, with the help of Sen. John Kerry’s<br />

staff, managed to arrange an appointment.<br />

The goal of the walk was always to carry the<br />

voice of the people directly to the president<br />

and now I’m proud to deliver your writings<br />

into his hands.”<br />

In keeping with spirit of the historic walk,<br />

Hill will hike the 450 miles from Boston to<br />

Washington, D.C., again collecting notes<br />

along the way. “It will be interesting to see<br />

how the themes and concerns have changed<br />

since 2008,” he says. He plans to leave the<br />

Massachusetts State House on October 30th<br />

and cover 15-20 miles a day.<br />

More information can be found at<br />

www.walktothewhitehouse.com.<br />

Teens asked to name<br />

library space<br />

SPENCER — Teens are invited to name<br />

and create a logo for the Richard Sugden<br />

Library’s “Teen Space.” The teen space at the<br />

library is a great place for any teen to go for<br />

information, to hang out with friends, work<br />

on homework, use technology, and more. The<br />

only thing we are missing is a great name for<br />

this space. This is YOUR space and we want<br />

the name to reflect that!<br />

To enter: please complete the entry form<br />

available at the library. Don’t forget to<br />

include your name, phone number, and/or<br />

email so that we are able to contact winners.<br />

You just may win a $25 Gift Card!<br />

Contest Guidelines:<br />

* You must be in grade 6-12<br />

* You may submit more than one entry<br />

* The library has the right to disallow<br />

entries due to inappropriateness<br />

* A drawing will take place in the event<br />

that multiple entries contain winning name<br />

* The winner will be decided by the staff<br />

and trustees of the library<br />

The deadline is Dec. 31. Any questions?<br />

Call 508-885-7513.<br />

Coats needed for third<br />

annual Coat Giveaway<br />

SPENCER – The need for warm coats is<br />

always a concern, but it is especially noticeable<br />

in difficult economic times.<br />

The congregation of Hillside Baptist<br />

Church is gearing up for its third annual<br />

Coat Giveaway, to be held from 10 a.m. to 2<br />

p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Depot Village<br />

Senior Center, Wall Street, Spencer.<br />

Coat and jacket donations may be made by<br />

bringing them to Hillside Baptist Church, 472<br />

Main Street, Spencer<br />

from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5;<br />

from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6 and<br />

from 6-8 p.m. Thursdays during the Bible<br />

Study.<br />

If a church or business chooses to conduct<br />

a specific on-site collection for the Giveaway,<br />

call Rosemary Reed at (508) 885-4673 and<br />

arrangements will be made to pick up the<br />

donations.<br />

This year the folks at Hillside are conducting<br />

a community-wide coat drive in an effort<br />

to gather even more winter coats and jackets<br />

for the Giveaway than in previous years.<br />

They are specifically looking for clean, gently-used<br />

children’s, women’s, and men’s winter<br />

coats and jackets.<br />

Anyone who needs a warm coat for themselves<br />

or their children is welcomed to come<br />

to the Coat Giveaway on Nov. 12 and choose a<br />

coat. The coats are, as always, free and available<br />

on a first-come, first-served basis. While<br />

there may not be coats available in every size,<br />

the goal is to collect and distribute as many<br />

coats and jackets as possible on that day.<br />

RRI to hold voter<br />

registration drive<br />

STURBRIDGE — Rehabilitative Resources<br />

Inc. (RRI), one of Central Massachusetts’<br />

leading providers of services for people living<br />

with developmental disabilities, will hold<br />

a voter registration drive on Veteran’s Day,<br />

Friday, Nov. 11 at its headquarters, 1 Picker<br />

Road in Sturbridge.<br />

“Voting is one of the rights we as<br />

Americans hold so precious and dear,” said<br />

Bonnie Keefe-Layden, RRI’s chief executive<br />

officer, and a retired Army colonel who<br />

served during the Iraq War. “Our voter registration<br />

drive will enable all citizens over the<br />

age of 18 to sign up to vote, and come Election<br />

Day, have their voice be heard.”<br />

To register, you need to simply come to RRI<br />

between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. with a valid identification.<br />

The next scheduled statewide<br />

Election Day is March 6, 2012, when candidates<br />

for president from all qualified parties<br />

will be on the ballot.<br />

For more information, please contact Evan<br />

Brassard<br />

at<br />

ebrassard@rehabresourcesinc.org, or (508)<br />

347-8181, ext. 134.<br />

HOW TO USE<br />

A STONEBRIDGE PRESS<br />

PUBLICATION<br />

STAFF DIRECTORY<br />

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER<br />

FRANK G. CHILINSKI<br />

(508) 909-4101<br />

frank@stonebridgepress.com<br />

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER<br />

RON TREMBLAY<br />

(508) 909-4102<br />

rtremblay@stonebridgepress.com<br />

ALMANAC<br />

QUOTATION OF<br />

THE WEEK<br />

TO PLACE A RETAIL AD:<br />

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE<br />

JUNE SIMAKAUSKAS<br />

(508) 909-4062<br />

newleaderads@<br />

stonebridgepress.com<br />

TO PRINT AN<br />

OBITUARY:<br />

E-MAIL:<br />

obits@stonebridgepress.com<br />

SUBSCRIPTION<br />

SERVICES:<br />

KERRI PETERSON<br />

(508) 909-4103<br />

kjohnston@stonebridgepress.com<br />

TO SUBMIT CALENDAR<br />

OR OUR TOWNS ITEMS:<br />

E-MAIL:<br />

atremblay@stonebridgepress.com<br />

TO SUBMIT A<br />

LETTER TO THE EDITOR<br />

OR SOUND OFF:<br />

E-MAIL:<br />

aminor@stonebridgepress.com<br />

TO PLACE A<br />

CLASSIFIED AD:<br />

CLASSIFIED REPRESENTATIVE<br />

TARA KING<br />

(800) 536-5836<br />

TO FAX US:<br />

(508) 764-8015<br />

STAFF DIRECTORY<br />

SENIOR STAFF WRITER<br />

DAVID DORE<br />

(508) 909-4140<br />

ddore@stonebridgepress.com<br />

SPORTS EDITOR<br />

NICK ETHIER<br />

(508) 909-4133<br />

SPORTS@STONEBRIDGEPRESS.COM<br />

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE<br />

JUNE SIMAKAUSKAS<br />

(508) 909-4062<br />

newleaderads@stonebridgepress.com<br />

GOT A NEWS TIP, AND IT’S AFTER 5 P.M. OR A WEEKEND?<br />

CALL A REPORTER’S LINE, OR SIMPLY DIAL (800) 367-9898 AND LEAVE A MESSAGE.<br />

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR<br />

JIM DINICOLA<br />

(508) 909-4092<br />

MANAGING EDITOR<br />

ADAM MINOR<br />

(508) 909-4130<br />

aminor@stonebridgepress.com<br />

ADVERTISING MANAGER<br />

JEAN ASHTON<br />

(508) 909-4104<br />

jashton@stonebridgepress.com<br />

PRODUCTION MANAGER<br />

JULIE CLARKE<br />

(508) 909-4105<br />

julie@villagernewspapers.com<br />

The Spencer New Leader (USPS#024-<br />

927) is published weekly by Stonebridge<br />

Press, Inc., 25 Elm St., <strong>Southbridge</strong>, MA<br />

01550. Periodical Postage paid at<br />

<strong>Southbridge</strong>, MA 01550.<br />

POSTMASTER: Send address<br />

changes to Spencer New Leader, P.O. Box<br />

90, <strong>Southbridge</strong>, MA 01550<br />

“We just want them<br />

to know that everyone<br />

is thankful for<br />

all that they’ve<br />

done.”<br />

- West Brookfield Board of Selectmen executive secretary<br />

Johanna Barry, commenting on upcoming Veterans Day<br />

events.<br />

Theheartof<br />

massachusetts.com

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