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Residents and selectmen clash over Fred Wolfe Park master plan as board approves one‑year farm lease
Summary
A long public exchange at the March meeting centered on the Fred Wolfe Park master plan and a one‑year license allowing farming on a parcel; a longtime volunteer urged immediate action and offered to lease the land, while the board defended the planning timeline and approved the one‑year license unanimously.
A contentious public discussion at the March Board of Selectmen centered on the future of Fred Wolfe Park and a one‑year license that allows farming on a parcel while a larger master plan is advanced.
Tom Paizano, a longtime volunteer in town youth sports, told the board he was disappointed that the park master plan—he said it was approved by a committee and the Planning and Zoning Commission—had not been placed on the selectmen’s agenda for implementation. Paizano urged the board not to let the plan "sit on the shelf" and offered to lease and cultivate the parcel for $1,500 a year if the town would allow it.
"I will lease that land personally and cultivate it, and I'll pay $1,500," Paizano said, adding that he hoped to see infrastructure such as additional park entrances advanced for safety and better access for youth sports.
Board members and a representative from BNL (the engineering firm) countered that the one‑year farm license would not interfere with the BNL redevelopment plan and noted the license can be terminated by the town. Selectmen emphasized that the planned roadway and the next phases of park redevelopment require mapping, engineering and wetlands work and likely will not affect the farm parcel for at least a few years. The board also discussed measures to reduce the nuisance of bird‑deterrent propane cannons — noting many farms now use electronic distress devices, reflective deterrents or specialty sprays instead.
Nut graf: The board approved the one‑year license for farming with the caveat that it remains revocable and that future engineering for park redevelopment (BNL’s plan) could require leaving portions of the parcel vacant; the exchange highlighted community impatience over the pace of implementing a long‑standing master plan.
After extended public comment and cross‑talk between volunteers and planners, the motion to approve the license carried unanimously. Board members said the short duration of the license and its terminable terms preserve flexibility for the master plan’s future implementation.
