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Commentary

Jim Dombrowski

Abington

"NEW"Senior Center

"NEW" Middle School

  I don't believe that Pattison Street is a proper location to attempt to build a Senior Center. The location and environmental reasons will be overlooked by the elected and appointed officials and politics will attempt to prevail. The facts support this statement. The laws that protect our environment will give these same officials a rude awakening.

   I am not opposed to the Seniors having a center. I am opposed to the location they have selected. It's all about LOCATION. They stated they spent nearly $70,000.00 on the Senior Center Design Plans for Pattison Street which used information that the School Department generated. These funds were privately generated. It is a shame that they didn't even spend 1 penny to assess the environmental conditions on the proposed building site,  as it will be those conditions that will have this project DENIED for this location.

    For all those who donated money to this cause, you should be angry at the School Department for generating this flawed information and at the Abington Conservation Commission for approving their plan knowing that they lacked the expertise to assess this property properly.  Don't be angry at the group SAVE GRIFFIN'S DAIRY  for raising issues with flawed plans the Town has approved.

    I find it amazing that people who are in a position to PROTECT our environment think they have the ability to delineate wetlands not only when they have been mowed the previous year but also in the wintertime. I have yet to find a wetlands scientist in the Federal, State or private sector say that they can delineate wetlands using vegetation only when the area has been mowed. But yet the School Department and the Conservation Commission want you to think they can.

  The Abington School Department's attempt to get control of the Town owned 64 acres of land known as Griffin's Dairy should NOT be authorized. Nearly 80%, or more, of this old farm is believed to be  classified as WET MEADOW. Having known this land for many years I can find NO possible way that you can get 25 acres of continuous upland area. I find that there is about 6+ acres of connected upland and that has a stream and associated wetlands in the middle. Hardly enough space to build a "NEW" school.

    Once again the environment factors will be raised and expose the flawed information that will be used to attempt to grab hold and ruin this parcel of land. This is NOT a proper location to build a "NEW" school.

    Ask the simple question to Peter Schafer, who is now Abington's School Superintendent and Chairman of the Middle School Site Selection Committee. If Federal, State and private wetlands scientists say it is IMPOSSIBLE to accurately delineate a wetlands after the area has been mowed using vegetation only and that soils and hydrology must also be used.

Q. How can you be so sure that the work you had done (wetlands delineation on Griffin's Dairy) is accurate under these circumstances?

      I wonder what type of response you will get?

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3/23/1998 Board of Selectmen's Meeting 

3/24/1998 Patriot Ledger

Selectmen's Minutes.    The Board agreed the Town is running short of open spaces and to determine the best recreational use for this land, it should go to a study committee.

Selectmen Kevin Donovan.  "This would be preserving open space."

Selectmen Joseph Shea.     "The Town is running out of open space."

Article 32 Annual Town Meeting-Second Session June 8, 1998

Voted to authorize, instruct and direct the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Abington to seek and receive grants........and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to set up a study committee to determine the best use of the property.

          Griffin's Dairy Study Committee was born

8/20/1999 Patriot Ledger 

 YMCA approaches Town about $8M facility on Griffin's Dairy. 

April 8, 2004

  Griffin's Dairy Committee  "RECOMMENDATIONS"  Presented to Abington Board of Selectmen.

  For over 5 years the Study Committee met with numerous Town Boards, citizens and organizations in an effort to gather information and receive input.

 "We recommend that a group called the Trustees of Griffin's Park be set up to oversee the property."

 "Our committee wants to ensure that Griffin's Park is properly maintained and cared for and will remain a symbol of Abington's history and pride."

Griffin's Dairy Study Committee

Ken Coyle-Chairman

Gary Minnehan-Vice Chairman

Judith Roy-Secretary

James Dombrowski

Janet Dane

Donald Whitman

2/6/2004 Patriot Ledger

Abington seniors set to fight for center

   Woodrean Arsenault is one of the locals who circulated the petition opposing the center, signed by about 40 residents.
    ‘‘You will get a fight on this one,'' she told selectmen last month.
    Several others who spoke at the board meeting said they wanted to preserve the farm for its peaceful, pastoral ambience.
    Too bad, the seniors say. They've worked for more than five years on the proposed center, and raised $67,000 in support of it by selling candy bars, cookbooks and calendars. They are also taking donations.

Kate Kelly quote.  ‘‘It's a NIMBY,'' Kelley said. A not-in-my-backyard attitude. 

It's official: Abington seniors are publicly fighting opposition to the $1.4 million senior center they hope to build on Pattison Street.

Doug Ulwick/Senior Center Architect
    ‘‘You have no place to go. The town won't give you a senior center."

Does this sound familar to the youth of our Town! All they wanted was a place to go to. 40 years later our youth STILL have no place to go. 

Sean Reynolds

6/14/2006 Abington Mariner

Letter: Abington Selectmen continue to get it wrong - Abington, MA - Abington Mariner   

  "I believe I have found the reason why selectmen and the town manager are not in touch with the people and principals of the town of Abington. It appears to me that even after prompting by residents, neither the selectmen nor the town manager want to research any issues brought before them."      

Robert Taylor

2/22/2007 Abington Mariner

Disagrees with board’s decision on senior center site - Abington, MA - Abington Mariner

    "I'm not happy about how the vote for determining the site of the senior center proceeded without any notification to the planned property abutters."