At the start of Monday night’s Select Board meeting, the Select Board heard from Town Counsel Thomas Mullen.
Mullen began by stating, “We are in the process of attempting to sell the South Lynnfield Branch Library property at 630 Salem St. The Board has already, long ago, declared this property surplus, which has not been used as a library for many years.
Mullen said he expects the bid to open Oct. 7.
“We are bidding the property on two alternate bases,” he explained. “Currently, it is zoned Residential A, and we propose to rezone it at the next Town Meeting to Limited Business, which would match the zoning status of the abutting property. We expect that the property would bring a higher price if rezoned.”
Mullen continued, “We’re going to need Town Meeting authorization certainly for the rezoning, but also to sell the property, and both motions require a two-thirds vote. I prepared both motions and have given them to the town administrator. Both must be voted to be put on the warrant, and the rezoning needs to be referred to the Planning Board for a hearing.”
Select Board Chair Phil Crawford said he thinks that “this is a good chance for us to receive some funds for a piece of property that we are using now, but we’re not going to use once the fire station’s been occupied, so I think it’s a great idea.”
As Select Board Vice Chair Alexis Leahy and Select Board member Dick Dalton had no comments or questions, a motion to authorize the request for bids on the property at 630 Salem St. passed unanimously.
Later on in the meeting, the Select Board voted unanimously in favor of a motion to open the fall Town Meeting warrant and set a closing date and time at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29. The motion also stated that the deadline for submission of petition articles be set at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25 to allow for verification of signatures.
