THE NEW
Uxbridge Times Established in 1991 vol. 30 • issue 1
Over 21,000 Copies Mailed Free
uxbridge • nortH uxbridge • linwood • douglas • nortHbridge • wHitinsville • sutton • mancHaug
New Zoning Bylaws Passed
Arrowhead Acres Celebrates Green Friday Representative Soter [R-Bellingham] applauded the work that Uxbridge Farm, Arrowhead Acres, does annually to celebrate “Green Friday.” Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux and Deputy Commissioner Ashley Randle presented owners David and Vicki Morin with a proclamation from Governor Baker. “Green Friday” is celebrated annually on the same day as Black Friday to shift attention from the shopping season to the environmental benefits of selecting a fresh cut local Christmas tree. This holiday also extends to promoting other ornamentals, swags, poinsettias, and other live green decorations. The 2017 Agricultural Census reports Massachusetts having 265 Christmas Tree farms w/sales of $3.5 million statewide. “It is important to emphasize the benefits in purchasing a fresh Christmas tree. Local trees keep open space and replacement trees are planted each year. Purchasing a fresh Christmas tree reduces the number of artificial trees entering landfills. But most of all, cutting your own tree is a great family recreational activity outdoors that has become a tradition,” said Commissioner John Lebeaux. Arrowhead Acres has planted up to 35,000 trees in the past 10 years and is expecting a peak amount (1000-2000) of trees available this year. The farm has a total of 48 acres with about half in Christmas trees. The big component of the farm is with weddings, an average 100 a year, but only 10 small ones this year. New developments on the farm include renovation of the banquet hall, and barn. The farm also has a petting zoo. David Morin, a Coast Guard veteran, also used the opportunity to cut down a tree as a donation to a local Coast Guard base.
January 2021
By Christine Beauchaine
GREEN FRIDAY - (Left to Right): State Rep. Mike Soter, Owners of Arrowhead Acres; David and Vicki Morin, Dept. of Agriculture Commissioner; John Lebeaux, and Dept. of Agriculture Deputy Commissioner; Ashley Randle. “It was an honor to join David and Jacki Morin as they celebrated the start of the Christmas season and Green Friday. Arrowhead Acres is one of the many great family businesses in
Uxbridge and across the 8th Worcester District and it is especially important for all of us to support our local businesses this holiday season,” said State Representative Michael Soter.
Uxbridge Launces New Building Permitting & Licensing Software The town of Uxbridge is excited to announce that their Building Permit Application Process is now online! On December 7th, 2020, The Town of Uxbridge Building Department migrated from a paper application process to an online permitting system. Click the
"Online Permitting System" link to access any of the following Building Permit applications: Residential, Commercial, Sheet Metal, Plumbing, Gas and Electrical. For more information visit: https://uxbridgema.viewpointcloud.com.
On Tuesday, December 15th, 2020, the town of Uxbridge finished their fall annual meeting. The town meeting originally met in October, then was continued to November. The November date was then postponed to December. Due to Covid-19 precautions, the town chose to meet in a tent at the McCloskey field on Capron Street. The quorum was reduced to 25, however 100 people were in attendance. Sound was somewhat problematic and several people were asked to speak up or get closer to the microphones. The meeting was not broadcast live due to technical issues but was recorded and later available on the town’s local access TV website. The goal of the meeting was to vote on article 12, which had been carried over from the earlier October meeting. Additional articles 13, 14 and 15 were withdrawn. Article 12 sought to amend some of the town’s zoning bylaws. Article 12 was somewhat complicated. The town moderator urged voters to ask questions and voting was divided into four separate sections for clarity. The first vote concerned religious and agricultural exceptions to zoning bylaws. Massachusetts State Attorney General Maura Healey, ruled that an amendment passed at the 2019 fall annual town meeting, failed to meet the state’s standard of acceptability. The rewritten amendment passed 71-16. The second vote fixed a typo in the Table of Use Regulations which had allowed for cannabis related businesses to be allowed in the Agricultural Zone. This usage is actually prohibited in the town’s zoning bylaws. The second vote passed with 75 in favor and 19 opposed. The third vote corrected a typo in the Table of Dimensional Requirements and concerned lot size. This passed 73 to 24. The first three votes corrected wording and misprints but made no sig-
nificant changes to the town’s zoning bylaws. These passed with minimal discussion. The finance and planning boards, as well as the board of selectmen all unanimously recommended passage of the first three votes. The fourth and final vote concerned the height of buildings in the industrial and business districts. The amendment would have allowed for buildings in the industrial and business districts to have an additional height of up to 60 feet or 4.5 stories. Current zoning regulations allow for 45 feet or three stories. This final issue involved much more discussion. Proponents said that the change was necessary in order to attract businesses to the town. It was noted that Northbridge, Sutton and Douglas all allowed buildings of up to 60 feet. There was concern that businesses would go to other towns instead of locating in Uxbridge if the town could not meet height requirements. It was noted that taller buildings are needed for appropriate drainage. Opponents of the amendment voiced concerns about traffic and the potential impact on neighborhoods. There was some debate as to whether the downtown area was considered a historic district and how that might impact future development if buildings were allowed additional height. Concerns were raised about how the town would look. Some opponents were not upset by the height issue so much as the fact that the wording of the amendment did not allow for exceptions. One voter worried about “a handful of voters” deciding “impactful decisions.” He suggested that the issue be revisited at the spring town meeting in 2021. All four votes required a majority to pass. The fourth vote was 59 in favor and 37 opposed and therefore did not pass. The meeting lasted approximately 40 minutes, then was dissolved.
Helping to promote area businesses for over 30 years ~ please sHop locally.
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The
N.U.T
Northbridge Christmas Tree Recycling Town of Northbridge Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program will take place Saturday, January 09, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Waste Water Treatment Facility located at 644 Providence Road (Route 122). Don’t throw away that Christmas tree! Bring it to the Treatment Facility where it will be recycled. Sponsored by the Northbridge Conservation Commission.
Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 15, 2020 Order concerning imposition on strict limitations on the number of people that may gather in one place, the Town of Northbridge requires that the public follow pandemic protocols and wear masks and stay in your car for the Christmas Tree Recycling. The Commission member(s) will remove your tree.
~ INDEX ~ Town News.........Page 4 Society……....…Page 13 Senior Corner....Page 17 School News….Page 19 Business News...Page 21 Classified...........Page 22 Real Estate.........Page 23