Steve Bolotin Member Planning Board
Creating a better tomorrow!
Steve Bolotin Member Planning Board
Creating a better tomorrow!
Creating a better tomorrow!
Creating a better tomorrow!
Thank you Plymouth for choosing me to be the next member of the Planning Board. It is an honor to be elected to represent your interests in addressing some of the biggest challenges Plymouth is facing.
Just because the campaign is over doesn't mean I will change my efforts to inform the public as to what is going on, or that I will be communicating less. Just the opposite. My intention is to continue posting about the important issues facing our town, including how they are being addressed by the Planning Board and the committees of which I am a part, and I continue to want to hear from you about your concerns and your thoughts on these issues.
I promise to operate exactly as I said I would - trying to balance the rights of property owners with the concerns of the neighborhoods and the interests of all of Plymouth. And I will continue to explain my reasoning and provide you, the residents, with the facts. My goal will always be to act in the best interests of the community.
We have a lot to do. But with your help, and cooperation among everyone in Town government, I have confidence we can do it.
Click below to be directed to the Plymouth Planning page to see the upcoming Planning Board Agenda and learn about new projects and proposals.
Learn more about some of the issues affecting Plymouth now and in the future by scrolling below or going to the 'Issues' page.
Holtec, the company now decommissioning the former Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, is considering releasing over 1 MILLION GALLONS OF RADIOACTIVE WATER into Cape Cod Bay.
For residents of the communities on the Bay the issue is that we truly don’t know the potential long term implications of such an action on a crucial portion of our ecosystem. But there is no doubt that if there is any contamination, the consequences for those who live and work by the water would be disastrous. And where there is a perfectly viable alternative there is no reason to allow this to happen. It is a simple choice, have the communities of the South Shore and the Cape risk a potentially irreversible environmental and economic catastrophe or have Holtec make a little less money.
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QUICK LINKS:
On May 6, 2022, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) held a "field hearing" of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in Plymouth on Issues Facing Communities with Decommissioning Nuclear Plants. To view the video of the entire 3+ hour hearing, go to https://www.facebook.com/EdJMarkey/videos/369466435223333/
The Provincetown Independent has written an article explaining the finances behind Holtec's activities. To read the article, go to https://provincetownindependent.org/news/2022/05/18/holtec-expects-to-make-huge-profit-off-pilgrim-plant/
Click below to be directed to the Holtec Radioactive Water Release page where you will find more information, summaries of the proposal, documents, and links to other sites.
Many people will likely be offering their own mortem on last night’s horseracing presentation, giving their arguments why we should or shouldn’t support this idea. I’m sure there will be comments about the questions that weren’t answered which, depending on the question, may be fair criticism. Others will have a position based on philosophic reasons, and those views should also be respected. I have expressed my view that I personally don't believe this type of use (or gambling) will serve as a long-term benefit to the Town for multiple reasons. But rather than go into any of that again, I’d like to offer a different take, some observations as to responses to direct questions that were different than statements made before:
1. Boston South previously said that it would not seek to utilize any “zoning loopholes” (yes, that is a direct quote), such as citing to county ownership of the Wood Lot, to avoid Town zoning. At the presentation last night, Mr. Gabbert would not reaffirm that statement, and instead said that Boston South would review the law and would do what was required of them.
2. Boston South previously said they would make payments to the Town even if they didn’t have to pay property taxes, meaning that they would enter into what is typically referred to as a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with the Town which, given county ownership of the property, is the only way the Town would receive any ongoing payment from the developer. At the presentation last night, Mr. Gabbert would not commit to entering into such an agreement with the Town, saying only that Boston South expected the Town to benefit from meals taxes, labor taxes (which we do not have), and increased tourism.
3. Boston South previously said that if the Town residents didn’t want the racetrack they wouldn’t proceed. At the presentation, Mr. Gabbert not only said that they wouldn’t be dissuaded if the Town voted against horse racing in a non-binding referendum, but also that they would not withdraw their proposal even if the current Select Board declined to give them a necessary letter of support for their racing license.
I offer these thoughts not as a criticism of the merits of a project that has yet to take shape, but rather a reminder to the residents that in making your decision not to focus too heavily on promises made. Different representations have been made at different times by different members of the development team to our Town representatives and to the people. I and others have taken notice of these contradictions, including members of the Select Board.
If Boston South execute a lease with the county at the end of June, they will have 3 years to decide what positions they will take regarding how they engage with the Town before deciding whether to try to proceed with a particular development proposal. This will include whether other factors (such as the potential availability of State funding and gaming revenues) make it more profitable for them to act in a manner against the Town’s interests. As Mr. Gabbert said several times last night, everything is on the table.
Click below to be directed to the Racetrack Proposal page where you will find copies of the relevant documents and information about what the residents of Plymouth can do to express their views.
By now you have probably seen the housing complex being built behind Home Depot. You may have heard that it is a 40B development, but don't know what that exactly means. Click below to be directed to the Chapter 40B Housing page for an overview of this law and how it affects Plymouth.
Massachusetts is considering regulations which would require communities like Plymouth to allow for thousands of new multi-family homes to be built in established neighborhoods, changing their character and straining Town resources. Click below to be directed to the MBTA Communities page to learn more.
The Master Plan is one of the most crucial documents in Town, right next to our Town Charter. That is because it identifies the concerns and priorities of the residents, and what they want to achieve. It is the guidebook for Plymouth’s future. Click below to be directed to the Master Plan page to learn more.
Traffic by the Home Depot is only going to get worse, and the Town doesn't have a way to address it. Click below to be directed to the Home Depot Traffic page to learn the history behind this problem, and support efforts at proactive planning to help prevent it from happening again.
There were contested races for Select Board, Planning Board, and School Board. Here are the results:
Select Board (2 Seats):
John Mahoney - 32%
Charlie Bletzer - 28%
Ed Bradley - 23%
Alan Costello - 18%
Planning Board (1 Seat):
Steve Bolotin - 54%
Nick Filla - 46%
School Board (2 Seats):
Jim Serenen - 38%
Luis Pizano - 36%
Noreen Bechade - 26%
Congratulation to all who ran. Town-wide election is a difficult and arduous process, and anyone who puts themselves up to this challenge deserves to be respected and commended. And to all who voted, thank you. Plymouth had a 25% voter turnout, the highest in years. But we can (and should) still do better, so please don't become complacent.
The three ballot questions on the form of Town Government yielded interesting results:
Town Meeting: 56% yes, 44% no 6874 votes
Town Council: 45% yes, 55% no 6666 votes
Mayor/City Council: 58% yes, 42% no 7199 votes
These are non-binding questions, and the Charter Commission has already voted to proceed with continuing representative town meeting regardless as to this vote, but your vote indicates that 425 more people voted on the question about a mayor/city council than on the question about town meeting, and 300 more people voted for a mayor/city council than for keeping town meeting.
The most definitive statement made on the ballot was in response to the question as to whether the residents favor development on the County Wood Lot that includes horseracing:
Yes - 12%
No - 88%
7367 ballots cast.
This is a non-binding question, but all the Select Board (and all of the candidtaes) had stated that they would follow the direction of the people three ballot questions on the form of Town Government yielded interesting results:
Town Meeting: 56% yes, 44% no 6874 votes
Town Council: 45% yes, 55% no 6666 votes
Mayor/City Council: 58% yes, 42% no 7199 votes
These are non-binding questions, and the Charter Commission has already voted to proceed with continuing representative town meeting regardless as to this vote, but your vote indicates that 425 more people voted on the question about a mayor/city council than on the question about town meeting, and 300 more people voted for a mayor/city council than for keeping town meeting.
On April 27, 2022, a bill was filed in the State House which would allow Plymouth to tax the spent fuel pools and dry cask storage at the facility or enter into a enter into a new PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) agreement with Holtec for the continued storage of these materials. The Town did have a PILOT agreement with Entergy, which provided a defined formula for payments to the Town, but that agreement expired when the plant went off line and was sold to Holtec for decommissioning. No new agreement was reached with Holtec because the principal material remaining on the site, the spent nuclear fuel, is not considered equipment or any other category of asset subject to property tax. This has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the amount of money the Town receives relating to the site.
Even if this bill passes, it is not a long-term solution to Plymouth's tax issues. But it would appropriately compensate Plymouth for Holtec's decommissioning activity, particularly given the amount of money Holtec is receiving from the ratepayers through the Decommissioning Fund.
To see a copy of the bill and for more information about what is happening at the former Pilgrim Plant, and particularly Holtec's plan to dump 1 million gallons of radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay, please click on the Holtec Water Release tab under Issues.
At the Select Board meeting on April 26, 2022, the Select Board voted to open a special Town Meeting on June 21, 2022. The principal purpose is to ask Town Meeting to authorize the purchase of the former Entergy training facility located at 46 Sandwich Road. That meeting will be held virtually on June 21st, with a preview day June 13th.
The Select Board has now unanimously voted to advance the proposed purchase to Town Meeting, with its recommendation in favor of proceeding with the purchase of 46 Sandwich Road for $3.75 million. At the public meeting on May 17, the Select Board provided new details as to the reasons they believed this was in the best interest of the Town:
1. The property has been appraised at a value of $4.35 million. This means that if after further study a public safety or other municipal facility is not the best use for the property, the Town can sell it for a profit.
2. The Town would control the use of the parcel, meaning if it were to be sold, the Town could decide if a proposed third-party use was in the Town’s best interest.
3. An independent fire station location study performed just last year (and without consideration of any particular property) identified the area around 46 Sandwich Road as the optimal location for a new headquarters building.
4. The fire chief has confirmed that there have been discussions with the State about providing direct access to the Pilgrim’s Highway (the M road), and that the emergency cutout at Route 3 does allow for responding vehicles to go both north and south.
The Select Board has promised to get all Town Meeting members get all of the information possible in order to be able to make an informed decision. They have agreed to provide all of the documentation and to make the property available on a few select dates for Town Meeting Members to view it for themselves.
Click below to be directed to the 46 Sandwich Road page for more details about the property.