Templeton MA
TEMPLETON WEATHERTown of Templeton MA on Gardner Magazine
Templeton MA Local News and Community Information
Jump to: Around the Community – Templeton Map – Templeton Photos – Service pages and outside links — View current Calendar (opens in new window)
- 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 28th. All dogs 6 months or older need to be licensed by Monday, April 1st.
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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Lord Road
Road Closure in Templeton MA
From Templeton Police Department on November 21, 2023: “Effective today the extension of Lord Road that goes to the intersection of Otter River Road and North Main Street will be closed. Please use caution when approaching the intersection. This will be for the winter months. As soon as its open we will update.”
- T Town Meeting
Templeton MA Fall Town Meeting 2023 Information
The Fall Town Meeting is being held on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 6 p.m. at the Narragansett Middle School Auditorium. View the Complete Town Meeting Warrant, click here.
Some of the items: Money Items —$50,000 – financing the design and oversight of the Administration Building roof replacement at the Wastewater Treatment facility. —- $65,000 to appraise parcels along Royalston Road in order to complete road work. —- $750,000 total fo redevelopment of the Baldwinville School —- $68.750 for a police vehicle. —- $2,200,000 for sewer debt Speed Limit: Asking town to accept 25 mile per hour speed limit on town-owned roadways within thickly settled or business districts. —- Transfer of control – Houghton Park to Parks and Recreation for use as a park. Other articles relate to funding for the park.
In other Templeton News: List of Templeton Tax Taking for Fiscal Year 2023, CLICK HERE. The Templeton Recreation Basketball 2023 – 2024 Winter Season information on Templeton website, CLICK HERE.
- Templeton Hotel
Building in Templeton MA heavily damaged by fire
The old Otter River Hotel in Templeton MA was the site of a major fire on September 27, 2023. The building at 29 Main Street was heavily damaged. It had just undergone renovations. No injuries were reported.
The original building dates from the 1880s and is known in recent years for being home to the Red Onion. At the time of the fire, patrons were attending Open Mic Night. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Town of Templeton sent out an emergency communication at 11:42pm informing residents that due to the major fire in town, intermittent power losses would occur throughout the night. Power did go out in East Templeton for a short period of time.
I am proud to share a link to a story done by local historian Mike Richard on the Red Onion, CLICK HERE.
Around the Templeton MA Community
Community Facts
Templeton is a town in Worcester County Massachusetts with a population of around 8200 people. Templeton is unique with four main villages of Templeton Center, East Templeton, Baldwinville, and Otter River. The Town of Templeton records most meetings and uploads them to YouTube. To watch, CLICK HERE.
Schools
Narragansett Regional School District: (978) 939-5661
Narragansett Regional High School: (978) 939-5388
Narragansett Middle School: (978) 939-5928
Templeton Elementary School: (978) 939-8892
Government
Town Administrator: (978) 894-2755
Town Clerk: (978) 894-2758
Fire Department: (978) 939-2222
Police Department:(978) 939-5638
Select Board: (978) 894-2755
Organizations
Community Services: (978) 894-2783
Boynton Public Library: (978) 939-5582
Templeton Food Pantry: (508) 826-4258
Templeton Senior Community Center: (978) 894-2780
Interactive Map of Templeton MA
Town of Templeton MA Photos
Gardner Magazine Service Pages and Outside Links for Templeton MA
Gardner Magazine Cities and Towns
Other Helpful Resources on the WebTech Online Network