Politics & Government

Voters Approve All Four Overrides

Local voters approved all four overrides in Thursday's Special Town Election.

Marblehead residents who made their way to the polls Thursday approved all four overrides on the ballot - meaning the will soon be universally accessible; the will get their new ; water and sewer officials can move forward with a proposed ; and Marblehead will acquire some .

Here's what you need to know about the overrides:

Question 1: The $4.9 million Drainage Project approved by town voters Thursday is scheduled to begin next year and is aimed at preventing the kind of damage that occurred during . 

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Although FEMA funding may lower the overall cost of the project, those planning the drain work wrote up the proposal assuming Marblehead won't receive any help from the state.

Planned Work Areas:

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FY13: Atlantic Avenue; Washington at Atlantic; Spring and Essex.

FY14: Pleasant Street; School Street; Sewall Street; Bessom and Pleasant.

FY15: Garfield Street; Evans Road; Sewall to Pleasant.

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Question 2: The 's request for a new was granted by town voters Thursday.

The apparatus, which will be equipped with a 100-foot aerial ladder, will cost $1.1 million. The additional $150,000 will go toward training and making sure it pulls into the station with brand new equipment.

Fire Chief Jason Gilliland said he hopes to trade in Engine 3, a 1987 Mack Pumper and move the department's 1997 quint into reserve status.

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Question 3: The $675,000 project to make the universally accessible calls for the installation of a three-story elevator and two handicapped bathrooms.

At Town Meeting last month, Selectman Judy Jacobi said she was "thrilled" to announce that the town's Historical Commission had agreed to donate $65,000 toward the project.

Also pitching in for the project is Columbia Pictures, which Jacobi said made a $30,000 donation to the project after .

After factoring in those two donations, the overall cost of the project is now $580,168. The cost to a median Marblehead homeowner will be $12.27 a year for the next five years.

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Question 4: The town can now move forward with the purchase of the recently rehabilitated property, paving the way for a new waterfront recreation spot in Marblehead.

The 5-acre site, located off of Lafayette Street near the Salem/Marblehead line, will be purchased for approximately $1.6 million. The land acquisition is a collaborative purchase between Marblehead and Salem - with Marblehead paying $1.5 million of the total cost.

Although it would be deemed conservation land and would be maintained by the Marblehead Conservancy, the proposal allows for "passive recreation."

The purchase would cost the median single-family household in Marblehead about $10.57 a year over 20 years.

The site is expected to be an open waterfront meadow with a small attached parking lot.

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Here are the unofficial results, posted Thursday tonight at :

Question 1 - Drainage Project:

Precinct P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 TOTAL Yes 464 494 351 360 311 414 2,394 No 189 180 163 184 153 198 1,067

Question 2 - Quint Ladder Truck:

Precinct P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 TOTAL Yes 353 373 284 271 275 349 1,905 No 297 296 231 263 191 264 1,542

Question 3 - Old Town House Renovations:

Precinct P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 TOTAL Yes 435 402 280 296 243 334 1,990 No 221 269 237 247 222 279 1,475

Question 4 - Lead Mills Purchase:

Precinct P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 TOTAL Yes 422 437 342 336 303 423 2,263 No 236 234 177 207 162 200 1,216

Do you have a question about the election results? Send them to Marblehead Patch.


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