5/21/09
The Selectmen and Planning Board want to form a neighborhood advisory committee to explore possible development options for the Temple Shalom land on Blue Hill Avenue.
They are asking residents to step forward to join the committee. The Selectmen will screen résumés and select two neighbors.
“We want people with good hearts who are interested in listening to both sides,” Selectmen Chair John Shields said at a joint meeting with the Planning Board May 14.
According to the plan, Temple Shalom would select two of its own representatives to join the committee. The Planning Board and Selectmen would also select local experts who specialize in work such as real estate or architecture to serve.
They urge people with similar expertise, who want to represent the neighbors to the Temple, to submit a résumé.
“Anyone with that type of background, we want you,” Planning Board Member Emily Innes said. “My hope is we’ll get some creative ideas … something none of us had thought of.”
Peter Jackson, newly elected chair of the Planning Board, said he hopes the committee can “mediate an appropriate development solution” between the Temple and its neighbors.
He said it will be hard.
“There’s a wide range of opinions out there,” he said.
Many neighbors had opposed a Temple proposal that included commercial development. Temple officials have said they need a smaller building because the large one is difficult financially to maintain.
The original proposal would have rezoned much of the Temple property for two commercial buildings. A portion of the land would have been sold to a developer to construct a drive-through pharmacy and office/retail building.
However, Town Meeting voted to send the proposal back to the Planning Board.
They hope the advisory committee can have a new proposal ready for a fall Town Meeting to consider. It would require meeting every other week throughout the summer, Innes said.
“If you’re planning on taking the summer off, it probably wouldn’t work out for you” to be on the committee, she said.
The Planning Board will set aside time at their meeting to discuss Temple proposals instead of having the advisory committee hold its own meetings, Jackson said.
He said time is “of the essence” since the Temple has indicated it cannot support its current building for very much longer without having to sell the land and move to another community. The congregation has been in Milton over 60 years.
“Time is definitely not on our side,” Selectman Kathy Fagan said.
If they have enough members, Selectmen plan to appoint the advisory committee at their meeting June 4. The Planning Board meets again with Temple representatives June 11.
For information, call the town’s planning office at (617) 898-4847 or the Selectmen at (617) 898-4846.

– Scott MacKeen