SOUTH HADLEY — Town Meeting members approved a $54.27 million budget, a zoning bylaw permitting accessory dwelling units and residential short-term rental units, and many other items at the annual meeting earlier this month.
“Some of the key fiscal year 2024 goals are to support quality education for our students, develop robust capital and maintenance plans including sustainability, address health inequities, create improved access to trails, parks and conservation areas, support housing production, and create a plan for body-worn cameras for police,” Select Board Vice Chair Carol Constant said.
The budget, showing an increase of 4.6% from last year, includes $24,348,907 in general fund expenditures, a school budget of $24,526,460, allocations for the wastewater treatment plant, the Ledges golf course, retirement expenses and more.
The Police Department and the Department of Public Works both received major increases in funding this year (11.13% and 12.93%, respectively), reflecting two years of wage increases.
Within the first hour of the May 10 meeting, several members raised objections to police spending.
“I cannot vote for a budget that again ignores inherent systemic racism and policing, and again shies away from making an investment in real alternatives to policing, but instead invests $3.5 million in the dangerous status quo in the name of public safety,” Jodi Miller said.
Police Chief Jennifer Gundersen responded to the concerns.
“I feel confident that every one of our officers do work hard to promote the safety of the community,” she said, adding that the department analyzes use of force by age, ethnicity, race and gender.
She also said the department is one of 90 out of the 450 in the state to be accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission, which mandates policies, procedures, training and curriculum at the highest standard.
After around 45 minutes of discussion, members approved a bylaw permitting accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which are separate housing units no more than 900 square feet, or half the principal dwelling in size.
The bylaw enables both attached and detached ADUs, though detached ADUs require a site plan review, a public hearing and abutter notifications.
Town Meeting member Linda Young moved to amend the article to delete the word “detached” from the entire warrant. She, along with others, said detached ADUs infringe on abutters’ privacy, can contribute to extra noise, and make neighborhoods denser.
“All of this adds up to two houses on a single-family lot, which will change the character of South Hadley,” Young said.
Those who spoke against the amendment said that detached ADUs create more affordable and accessible housing options.
“In South Hadley, we do not have diverse housing stock,” said Helen Fantini, who serves on the Redevelopment Authority and the Housing Production Plan Advisory Committee. “All we’re trying to do is to add a tool to the zoning toolkit. Detached provides much more flexibility.”
Meeting members voted against the amendment, 67-35, and the article passed as proposed.
Town Meeting also voted to create a general bylaw allowing for the registration and licensing of residential short-term rental units, after Young moved to amend the regulation to limit the number of available licenses from 25 to 20, and to limit the number of non-owner-occupied short-term rentals from five to two.
“It is not fair to a neighborhood… it’s more of an investment for people rather than a need for the homeowner,” Young said.
Members opposed to the amendment expressed a need to move forward with equitable housing options.
“We have over 6,000 primary residences in South Hadley. I don’t think that reducing from 25 to 20 or five to two affects anything,” Ira Brezinsky said. “It’s time for us as a community to look at what the current landscape is … and to respond appropriately.”
Members defeated the amendment and voted for the original article.
Dozens of other money articles were approved over the course of the four-hour meeting, including:
■The transfer of $310,000 from the Wastewater Treatment Plant’s retained earnings for repairs and creation of a comprehensive management plan.
■The transfer of retained earnings from the Ledges Golf Club in the amount of $198,500 to make repairs, purchases or replacements, to “get to the point where it is a financial plus to the community in addition to a tremendous recreational benefit,” as Select Board member Jeff Cyr said.
■The transfer of $715,000 from free cash for the second phase of the expansion of Buttery Brook Park, which will include accessible walking trails, playground improvements, a disc golf course, a new performance stage, additional pickleball courts, and basketball court upgrades, according to Cyr.
Cyr said the Friends of Buttery Brook Park have already paid for a consultant to write a grant due in July, as well as for a feasibility study being conducted by Berkshire Design Group.
Notification of grant approval will be in October or November, and if approved, the grant will cover 70% of project costs.
Town Meeting also voted to create an opioid settlement stabilization fund for support programs, care of at-risk populations, harm reduction efforts and preventive education.
Members also reelected Frank DeToma to the Redevelopment Authority, and elected Rudolf Ternbach, Carlene Hamlin and Ira Brezinsky to the Town Meeting Review Committee.
The final three articles in the town meeting warrant were voted down, including a proposal to change the zoning designation of a piece of land on the corner or Granby Road and Willimansett Street from residential to Business A.
RLB Management was seeking to build a Starbucks on the busy corner, and proposing to turn over all profits to the Hope for Youth Foundation. The Planning Board did not support the change after hearing from neighbors, and a majority at Town Meeting rejected it.
Another proposed change to the zoning map, to zone a parcel at the corner of Amherst Road and Pearl Street as Business B, also went down to defeat.
A final article, brought forth by a citizen petition, sought a $1,000 appropriation from free cash to investigate an alleged racial slur by a Select Board member.
A majority of Town Meeting members voted against the motion.