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Danvers Select Board: votes on street takings, utility easements, licenses and event sponsorship
Summary
At its Aug. 12 meeting the Town of Danvers Select Board approved final orders of taking for six streets, accepted utility easements at two properties, granted several license actions including a conditional suspension for a liquor store, extended a construction occupancy permit, and endorsed a historical-society march as a town-sponsored event.
The Town of Danvers Select Board met Aug. 12 and approved a series of motions covering street takings, utility easements, license changes and event approvals.
The board voted to take, by order of taking, fee simple title to streets that town meeting had earlier accepted as public ways: Chatham Lane, Colontoni Drive (listed as Colony Drive in some materials), Crane Street, Franklin Street, Hunt Street and Wildwood Road. Town engineer Steven King described the action as the final administrative step to record those ways at the registry of deeds after town meeting acceptance; the board approved the order of taking on a voice vote.
The board also accepted two utility easements presented by King. The first grants the town a 400-square-foot sewer easement overlaying an existing 20-foot water easement at 348 Andover Street so the parcel can be served by town sewer; the second accepts a water easement over an existing sewer easement at 13 Forest Street to allow a new water service to a proposed dwelling. In both cases the easement documents were described as grants from the property owner to the town and the board voted to accept them.
On a separate public hearing, the board approved an extension allowing Wakefield Associates (project manager Tim Spencer) to occupy the public way to continue construction at 17 Elm Street, with the extension to run through Oct. 15 and an explicit reference added to include the contiguous corner of Page Street.
Licensing actions included: - A corporate officer change for AMC Liberty Tree (Liberty Tree Mall, Independence Way). The board closed the public hearing and approved the change of officer without reported local conditions. - The board held a disciplinary hearing for Danvers Cappy’s Inc., d/b/a Cappy’s Fine Wine & Spirits (158 Andover St.) following a police compliance check in which alcohol was sold to an underage decoy. Owner Virendra Patel and the employee who completed the sale acknowledged the incident and described new procedures (mandatory TIP training, signage, ID scanners and a stricter “card everyone” policy). After discussion the board approved a one-day suspension to be held in abeyance for 12 months, to be served only if there is a repeat violation within that period (motion carried by roll call; recorded vote later referenced as 4–1 in the transcript, with one member dissenting).
The board also approved a public event request from the Danvers Historical Society for a march and rededication ceremony tied to the 250th anniversary of Benedict Arnold’s 1775 march through Danvers; members voted to have the town sponsor the event (police detail and insurance follow-up to be coordinated with town staff).
Finally, the board renewed Connors Farm’s seven-day entertainment license with two modifications from last year’s permit: the farm store may remain open until 7 p.m. (instead of 6 p.m.), and the board approved an 11-night run until 11 p.m. in October this year (one more night than 2024, explained as a calendar-based request). The board added the same public-safety and noise-mitigation conditions from last year and asked the clerk/manager to report back if complaints arise; the renewal otherwise remains subject to normal licensing review next season.
Several other routine consent items and appointive actions were approved by voice vote during the meeting.
Votes at a glance (items recorded in meeting minutes): - Order of taking: Chatham Lane; Colontoni Drive; Crane Street; Franklin Street; Hunt Street; Wildwood Road — outcome: approved (voice vote). Presented by Steven King, town engineer. - Acceptance of utility easement to permit sewer service at 348 Andover St. (grant of utility easement from Roland Lemuel) — outcome: approved (motion carried by voice vote). Presented by Steven King. - Acceptance of utility easement to permit water service at 13 Forest St. (grant of utility easement from Toward Independent Living and Learning, Inc.) — outcome: approved (motion carried by voice vote). Presented by Steven King. - Extension to occupy public way (Wakefield Associates / 17 Elm St.; include corner of Page Street) — outcome: extension granted through Oct. 15 (voice vote). Presented by Tim Spencer. - Change of corporate officer for AMC Liberty Tree (alcoholic beverage license) — outcome: approved (public hearing closed; voice vote). Applicant: Bridal Parsons, general manager. - Disciplinary hearing: Danvers Cappy’s Inc. (158 Andover St.) — outcome: 1-day suspension held in abeyance for 12 months; to be served only if a repeat occurs (recorded voice/roll-call vote; transcript later notes 4–1). Applicant/owner: Virendra (Varendra) Patel. - Special event: Danvers Historical Society march/rededication (Sept. 14) — outcome: board endorsed town sponsorship (motion carried by voice vote). Organizer: David McKenna. - Entertainment license renewal: Connors Farm (30 Valley Road) — outcome: renewal approved with modifications (store open until 7 p.m.; 11 nights until 11 p.m. in October) and subject to the same conditions as last year; clerk/manager to report back if complaints are received (motion carried).
Notes: Many motions were carried by voice vote with no roll-call tallies recorded in the public transcript. When a numeric tally was spoken on the record (Cappy’s discipline), the transcript records the board’s vote as 4–1, with one member dissenting.
