The theme of the 2007 Town Report is Renewal.~ One of the most significant renewals this past year was our Town Hall. The offices of the Building Inspector & Town Planner are now on the third floor. Work was also done on the second floor offices and the Great Hall. This allowed the Health Officer and the Assessor’s office to be relocated into a larger and more modern office space. This also made room for an additional meeting room.~ These renovations were made possible through the Town Meeting’s support of the Town Hall Renovation fund as well as the very~
generous donations made by Donald H. Sargent, a former resident with~ fond memories of his time in Plaistow who wanted to give back something to the town. We are so grateful.
Also, work in the Town Clerk and Tax Collector’s office on the first floor was completed. The area was expanded and revamped with more room for vital record storage.~ The Finance office also found a new home in the old Assessor’s office and the Town Manager’s office received a makeover as well. Thanks go out to all the Town Hall employees for their help and patience during all the renovations.
Another big change is the completion of the recreation fields and the construction of the new concession stand~on Old County Road. After years of work, the fields should be open this spring.~ This will be a much need addition to our Recreation Department.
2007 also brought the finalization of the reclamation plans for the Beede~Waste Oil site on Kelley Road. The site was a waste oil recycling plant that was heavily contaminated. It was placed on the federal superfund list in 1995 and after much work and many years, the EPA and the potentially responsible parties have agreed on a clean up plan. Initial clean up work has been going on at the site for some time. 2008 should see new work beginning in the clean up process for the location. This clean up will be ongoing for many years but renewal of this site~will be a benefit~for future generations of Plaistow.
State work on the southern portion of Rte 125 was completed in 2007. The road was widened; more turning lanes were added as well as medians in key spots. This should greatly improve the safety of the highway. Work on the northern section will be ongoing in the coming years with more improvements to assist in traffic and safety. Copies of the plans for this project are available in the Town Manager’s and Planning Offices.
This year, the Town held a Special Town Meeting to vote on whether or not to repeal the new Elderly Housing Ordinance approved in March. Residents of Plaistow voted~in favor of the repeal,~taking the Elderly Housing Ordinance off the books all together.~ This has proven to be a very complex issue.
On behalf of the Board of Selectmen, I would like to thank all of the volunteers, elected officials, committee members and staff who have served our community over the past year. We are so fortunate to have so many people committed to making Plaistow a place we are proud to call our home. While we have made many steps toward renewal, it is a continuing effort that requires all of us to continue to be good stewards of our community now and in the future.
Respectfully submitted,
Michelle Curran
Chairman, Board of Selectmen
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