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• Lamontagne 4-2-24

  

  Complete Roundabout Rendering, CLICK HERE.

  Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne urges residents, both current and prospective, to email him via ALamontagne@templetonma.gov or via phone at (978) 894-2778 Town of Templeton Website

  “Moving Mountains In Templeton” – An Interview with Adam Lamontagne

  We spoke with Templeton Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne on April 2, 2024 sitting at a conference table in his office. Listen to the interview on any device, CLICK PLAY.

  The Town of Templeton is juggling a number of complex projects at one time, many heading towards final completion. From demolishing buildings, repaving roads, creating a new roundabout, to focusing on a possible major bridge project, Adam speaks of the town’s efforts with pride and appreciation for the Templeton team.

  We spoke extensively about budget issues. There’s currently a projected shortfall of about a half million dollars which will need to be addressed at Town Meeting.

  If you’re interested in listening to the Templeton Select Board meeting of March 27, 2024, you can listen to it here on any device, CLICK PLAY.

  Ongoing projects discussed included: 10 Pleasant Street – “We have a demolition revolving account that had to go through a special act of the legislature. Once we created that, we put in enough free cash into that revolving account where we’ve taken down, demolished 10 Pleasant Street. We actually have that out to bid right now. It should be coming in April 17th.” Scout Hall Project – going to completion. Other construction: “The State’s finished up the Rotary project, and we also have multiple bridges the state’s going to be working on.” Templeton was awarded over a million dollars in CDBG funds. “We’re going out to bid for School, Vernon, and Cottage Street in the Baldwinville section of town” Lamontagne spoke of working on a master plan for the Houghton Park project.

  We spoke about the number of restaurants in Templeton: “A lot of these places are wonderful places to sit down, have a meal, talk with folks ”

  Lamontagne spoke of the challenges of the Main Street Bridge Project: “The town voted to support all the design, and that’s getting completed. It’s going to take us all the way up to 100% design, state review, as well as getting bid-phase services to go out to bid. The challenge is, we don’t have the construction funding at this moment. So the people in town will have a question in front of them for whether or not to go above Proposition 2.5, it’s a debt exclusion, to repair the Main Street Bridge Project, Main Street Bridge for this project. And a lot of people say, well, what’s going to happen? What is it that’s going to take place? And they unlikely think, oh, well, let’s just use the number of bids came in, 3.7 million it comes to, roughly.” With 350k in debt payments dropping off in Fiscal Year 2025, Lamontagne is hoping that the Main Street Bridge Project could fit in after that. Lamontagne’s strategy is to used State Aid to decrease what is needed for the bond.

  Lamontagne explained the strategy of replacing water mains proactively before the rest of the East Templeton Roundabout Project was done, “Because the last thing you want to do is have a beautiful rotary and then not have the infrastructure underneath.”

  Outlook and Goals for 2024 include: “I would like to see this project completed, when I say this project, the Maple and School Street Neighborhood Improvements project completed, I would like to see the Baldwinville School Apartments get revitalized in that section and provide 54 units to folks in Baldwinville over there. I would like to see the Main Street Bridge repaired and then continue with our Chapter 90 projects.”

  Thinking of relocating to Templeton? Because of Templeton Municipal Light, Templeton residents pay about half what others pay for electric.

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• Ritter Dedication

  

  Former Templeton Town Coordinator Ritter Honored

  The Templeton Town Hall was dedicated on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 to the memory of Jeffrey Ritter. Ritter was a former town coordinator who passed away in 2014. The placque in honor of Ritter honors the man who is credited with leading the effort to move Templeton town offices into the building which was the East Templeton Elementary School for 100 years until it closed in 2011.

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• Templeton 3-28-24

  Town of Templeton Report for 3-28-24 CLICK HERE. The Town Administrator is working on the final draft for the Town Meeting Warrant. The Highway Department did catch basin and culvert cleaning, pothole repairs, and took a ride to show the possible paving plan for the next fiscal year. Public Safety calls are detailed.

  Town of Templeton Report for 3-21-24 CLICK HERE. Includes information from Board of Health, Conservation Commission, Building Department, Community and Senior Services,

  Board of Selectmen meets on April 10^th.

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• Templeton Reports 3-14-24

  

  A Report on the Town of Templeton MA – March 14, 2024

  Some reminders: The Fiscal year 2025 286 page Budget Book is available on the town website or you can view the pdf here, CLICK HERE.. The last day to take out nomination papers for Annual Town Election is Thursday, March 28^th. All dogs 6 months or older need to be licensed by Monday, April 1^st.

  With Spring approaching, some road work has already begun. The highway Department reported “Pothole repairs Hamel Mill Bridge, Main Street bridge, Baptist Common Road, Liberty Street, Beech Street, Winchester Street, Barre Road, Baldwinville Road, and Upper Otter River. Clean catch basins and culvert pipes Baldwinville Road, Otter River Road, and Turner Street. Cut and chip trees on Brooks Road, and Baldwinville Road. Cleared a section of the ditch on Baptist Common. Spot treated roads where needed. Fixed ditch on Maple Street. Clear grates on Royalston Road and Henshaw Road due to beaver activity. Cut tree down at Greenlawn Cemetery with Buildings and Grounds.” The Templeton Select Board will meet on March 27, 2024. Templeton Town Manager Adam Lamontagne issues a report every week. View Complete Report on pdf for 3-14-24, CLICK HERE.

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• Zoning 2-20-24

  

  Previous Articles with meeting AUDIO on this matter:

  Planning Board October 10, 2023

  Planning Board November 14, 2023

  In December, Private Oversight LLC requested an extension to the January meeting.

  Planning Board January 9, 2024

  The Planning Board met on February 20, 2024 and put the matter on the next month’s calendar.

  Multi Family Proposed Project Facing Abutter Opposition

  Private Oversight, LLC is proposing to build a project of 52 units of Multi family housing, 42 in Gardner, and 10 in Templeton. Attorney for the proponent, Christine Tree indicated that a Planning Board decision on the site plan is being sought first. Chairman Lafond agreed that resolving any Planning Board issues would make sense so there are no conflicts between boards. “We will wait for the Planning Board to go through their site plan review.” However, even after that was stated, various opposing abutters wanted to be heard and were heard. Listen to the meeting on any device. CLICK PLAY.

  Various abutters oppose the project. One reason is a general opposition to having multi-family housing in a single family area. Another reason concerned the potential for the project to affect drainage. According to one abutter opposed to the project, another developer who clear cut land in the same area on the Templeton side caused drainage issues for abutters. At the meeting, the attorney for Private Oversight LLC offered to email project plan details to abutters if desired.

  The Board voted to take up the matter again at its April 16, 2024 meeting.

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• Templeton 3-13-24

  

  Attorney General’s decision on warrant articles from November 2023 Town Meeting, CLICK HERE.

  Warrant for the 2024 Templeton Annual Town Meeting Opened

  The Select Board voted to open the Warrant for the 2024 Annual Town Meeting to Citizen’s Petitions at their meeting of February 14, 2024, and to close the Warrant on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 4 p.m.

  Citizens wishing to submit petitions need to do so on or before March 13, 2024, at 4 p.m at the office of the Select Board. After it is delivered & time-stamped, the signatures shall be confirmed by the Town Clerk. More info will be posted by the town of Templeton here:

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• Pub Reopening

  

  The Otter River Pub Will Reopen on February 5, 2024

  After suffering a devastating fire in September 2023, the Otter River Pub is officially reopening February 5, 2024 at 3pm. It has been undergoing a soft opening to some regulars and pool teams.

  Owner Matt Piaseczny had bought the place in December of 2022 and had done some updating just before the devastating fire last Fall which severely damaged the structure. The transformation from a fire-damaged structure to a beautiful pub once again is truly amazing.

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• Durant – Templeton

  State Senator Peter Durant will be hosting district office hours at Templeton Town Hall, 160 Patriots Road, East Templeton from 11:30am to 12:30pm on Monday, February 12, 2024. Residents are welcome to stop by. For any questions, please contact the senator’s office at (617) 722-1540.

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• Baldwinville Apartments

  

  Earlier in January 2024, we spoke with State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik about housing. In the interview, he spoke briefly about this project. Here is the article, CLICK HERE.

  Baldwinville School Apartment Conversion Project To Move Forward in Templeton MA

  Almost 3 years after the Community Preservation Committee voted to support the project, Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne, Select Board Member Matt Rivard, Developers Matt Zahler and Jason Korb joined Governor Maura Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, and Secretary Augustus for the grant award announcement in Jamaica Plain, MA on January 22, 2024 for the Baldwinville School project in Baldwinville.

  The project consists of the conversion of a historic vacant school into housing and the construction of additional new units on the same site. Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities (EOHLC) will support the project with federal and state low-income housing tax credits and subsidy funds. When completed, Baldwinville School Apartments will offer 54 total units of housing. Forty-nine units will be affordable to households earning less than 60% of AMI, with eight units further restricted for households earning less than 30% of AMI and, in some cases, transitioning from homelessness. The project has been designed to incorporate important elements of green design. The new construction units will meet Passive House standards.

  Graphic in this article from a presentation of 3 years ago. The complete history of the project is given on the Town of Templeton website with links to various documents and videos. CLICK HERE.

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• Templeton Cafe

  

  Templeton Cafe and Pub is New Name of Restaurant at crossroads

  Customers will have to wait until February 1st for the new look as the restaurant will be closed for “sprucing things up and adding new equipment and furniture.” Initially, breakfast and lunch will be served. A soft dinner opening by invitation only will be held on February 2nd and 3rd. Full opening is February 4th. There will be new menu combined with daily specials.

  Standard Hours after February 5th: Sunday and Monday 6am to 8pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 6am to 2pm (closed evenings), Thursday, Friday, and Saturday: 6am to 9pm. Visit their website.

  

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