Bedford Minuteman
March 27, 2003

Voters approve Hanscom resolution, TIF agreement

By Natalie Goodale / Staff Writer

Issues discussed at Town Meeting, which took place Monday and Tuesday night and will be continued to next Monday, included a plea to the governor to stop Hanscom expansion.

The threat of expansion at Hanscom Air Force Base is ongoing, and voters in Bedford and surrounding towns decided to take matters into their own hands by making a resolution that will be presented to the governor.

Selectman Sheldon Moll said MassPort's mission is to expand Hanscom with runway repaving, terminal upgrades, and planning for late-night cargo planes such as FedEx. He said some of these elements could be put into place by 2005.

Most residents voiced their concern over the expansion of the base, saying the plane traffic is a serious problem. Some questioned, however, how much revenue the base brings in.

"We do receive a tax applied to every gallon of fuel that is pumped into the jets," he said. "This amounts to $50,000-100,000 a year."

Moll said the plan is not to interfere with the military operations of the base.

"The U.S. Air Force is welcome to our town," he said. "We have no intention of asking anyone to eliminate that activity."

The proposal to seek the governor's help in quashing the expansion by designating Hanscom a unique airport in the United States that is in an historical, cultural, and environmentally sensitive area was passed by a majority voice vote.

The voters also decided to enter into a tax increment finance (TIF) agreement with Fugi Microdisks so that the company will expand its growth in Bedford, and both the town and the company will reap heavy financial benefits from the state's economic development incentive program that the TIF agreement falls under.

Article 19, the Shawsheen River Flood Plain Easement, which authorizes the selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase, or eminent domain an easement of a portion of land surrounding the Shawsheen River, was passed by voters on Tuesday night, as well as article 20, that which allows the acquisition of land surrounding Middlesex Turnpike and Crosby Drive for the transportation improvement project plan for those roads.

Town Meeting will reconvene Monday at 7:30 in the Bedford High School Cafeteria.

Copyright by TownOnline.com and Herald Interactive Advertising Systems ==========
**NOTICE: In accordance with 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.** ==========