SOMERSET — While a lot of the standard votes on items such as municipal budgets and new equipment for town departments were approved at Monday night’s annual town meeting, bigger developments came out of votes on new recreational areas.
Voters passed measures that will create both a new disc golf course and a new dog park in Somerset.
The disc golf vote approved $1,000 to rehabilitate land at Buffington Park into a disc golf course while the dog park vote approved a $34,910 appropriation to construct the Somerset Dog Park, which will also be located at Buffington Park. Both projects are being paid for through Community Preservation Act funding instead of taxpayer money.
Other recreation projects that were approved included a $44,847 appropriation to rehabilitate and renovate the playground at Leahy Park. Roughly half of that funding will come from a grant through the Community Preservation Act while the rest will be drawn from the town’s community preservation funds.
Also approved was an appropriation of more than $17,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to replace the bandstand and stage at Pierce Beach Park.
The town voted in favor of granting $235,000 to equip Chace, North and South elementary schools with new handicap-accessible bathrooms and security doors, as well as a $100,000 appropriation to carry out renovations at the Old Town Hall.
Public safety officials have been approved for $140,000 to pay off leases for police cruisers, $18,000 for new bullet-proof vests and $250,000 for repairs to the radio system used by the police and fire departments.
The town’s $24,576,365 municipal budget for fiscal 2020, as well as the $20 million Somerset Public Schools budget and the town’s $6.8 million contribution to the Somerset Berkley Regional School District budget, also were approved.
Voters supported a measure prohibiting construction of single-family dwellings in designated businesses districts. The amendment was intended to maintain the current number of existing business parcels within the district. According to the meeting’s warrant, the town prefers to have more mixed-use properties in the business district as opposed to residential properties.
One article that was voted down by residents was a proposal to prevent renting of rooms of dwellings in residential or recreational districts. This would have prohibited property rental services such as Airbnb from operating in Somerset.
Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Holly McNamara said she opposed prohibiting residents from being able to rent rooms to tenants.
“It’s really hard to get government bodies to adapt and change with new technologies and services,” McNamara said Tuesday. “I just couldn’t get behind it and I don’t support banning it.”