Wayland Select Board calls Sept. 12 special town meeting on River's Edge easements

WAYLAND -- June 27, 2020, Wayland Select Board calls Sept. 12 special town meeting to authorize River's Edge easements. The board voted 5-0 to open a warrant from July 28 to Aug. 4 and to submit a single article authorizing access and drainage easements over a town-owned road serving the Wood Partners affordable housing project; the meeting will run concurrent with the postponed 2020 annual town meeting at the high school athletic field at 1 p.m. Town Administrator Louise Miller said the developer warned its financing "may be at risk" without an easement that runs with the land. Planning Board representative Dan Hill urged speed, saying the town's two-year Chapter 40B safe harbor that started in December 2019 requires a building permit "ideally by December or January." Board of Public Works Chair Mike Lowry and Vice Chair Cliff Lewis flagged title-reference gaps and missing surveyed layouts in the draft easement. In a separate 5-0 vote, the board adopted a statement on racism after inserting "systemic" before "racism and oppression," and Miller and Vice Chair Doug Levine outlined an eight-resident advisory committee to plan community conversations on race and study a possible human rights committee. A field-tent alternative was rejected at roughly $18,000.