Town Office Expansion Draws Concerns

Progress on the Burke Town Office expansion has slowed since town meeting day. Fear of hasty planning has brought about concerns from the abutting property owner. A 235,000 dollar price tag for the project was overwhelmingly passed by Australian ballot on town meeting day. It appeared this had set the stage for quick action. The plan is for an addition to the existing building that would house a community building and a senior meal site. Roger Laramee, owner of the property next to the office, feels the town should consider more than just the construction. In a letter he wrote to the Development Review Board, he stated, "This project has been hurried along by the select board so as to be on the town warning." His main concern was a lack of information available to the DRB. Without this information, architecture designs, building placement, driveway and parking plans, and so on, he feels the DRB may have made a rash decision. He and his wife are hoping the town will enact limits on the hours of use for the building and think of ways to reduce traffic flow on the small residential street. They expect the senior meal site will be used more heavily than the DRB has noted. The town is attempting to address these concerns while moving forward with the project.