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Dave Watkins

Wellesley Select Board cuts back fee increase, sets May 11 vote on 40 Oakland Street

WELLESLEY — May 5, 2026 — Wellesley Select Board scales back fee hike and previews Special Town Meeting on state housing plan. The board voted 5-0 to raise the demand fee on overdue tax bills from $5 to $10 — half the originally proposed increase — and to keep the standard Municipal Lien

Wellesley Planning Board approves 31 Old Farm Road large house review

WELLESLEY — May 4, 2026 — Wellesley Planning Board approves 31 Old Farm Road and advances $50,000 Lower Falls study. Meeting May 4 with Vice Chair Thomas Taylor absent, the four-member board unanimously approved LHR-26-02 after Interim Planning Director Brad Downey said town counsel found no added ADU

Climate Action Committee endorses state bills, reissues school solar RFP

WELLESLEY — May 1, 2026 — Wellesley Climate Action Committee backs state climate bills, reissues school solar RFP. Chair Lise Olney led the May 1 meeting in endorsing opposition to a proposed $1 billion cut to MassSave, support for expanding the Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Program from 10 to 20 municipalities, and

Select Board sends 40 Oakland Street to Town Meeting as three-way advisory vote

WELLESLEY — April 27, 2026 — Wellesley Select Board sets three-way advisory vote on 40 Oakland Street for May 11 Town Meeting. The board voted 5-0, on a motion by Secretary Colette Aufranc and seconded by Vice Chair Tom Ulfelder, to approve motion language letting Town Meeting choose between accepting

Select Board debates motion language for May 11 vote on 40 Oakland Street

WELLESLEY — April 23, 2026 — Wellesley Select Board splits over how to frame 40 Oakland Street question for Town Meeting. With the May 11 Special Town Meeting two and a half weeks out, the board on April 23 weighed three competing drafts on the sale and development of the state-owned

Advisory hears Select Board pitch 40 Oakland Street negotiate-or-litigate warrant

WELLESLEY — April 22, 2026 — Wellesley Advisory previews May 11 Special Town Meeting on 40 Oakland Street development. Select Board Chair Marjorie Freiman, Town Counsel Tom Harrington and the full Select Board presented two warrant articles asking residents to choose between negotiating with the state over MassBay Community College's

Council on Aging launches drafting of formal art-display policy

WELLESLEY — April 16, 2026 — Wellesley Council on Aging moves to formalize an art-display policy by late May. The board voted unanimously to seat a nominating subcommittee (Peter Grape, chair; Tina Wong; Corinne Monaghan), a new-member interview subcommittee, and to name Grape as liaison to the Friends of the

Historical Commission preferably preserves 1922 Calvin Road colonial revival

WELLESLEY — April 15, 2026 — Wellesley Historical Commission votes 4-0 with one abstention to preferably preserve 38 Calvin Road. Vice Chair Alexander Gavis moved the determination on the architectural prong of the town's demolition review bylaw, citing the 1922 colonial revival's design by Boston architect Frederick

Historic District Commission weighs shutter, siding details on Cottage Street homes

WELLESLEY — April 8, 2026 — Wellesley Historic District Commission reviews Cottage Street applications, clarifies limits on paint authority. The commission took up certificate of appropriateness applications HDC-26-02 for 58 Cottage Street and HDC-26-03 for 28 Cottage Street at its April 8 Zoom meeting, with discussion focused on

Town Meeting takes up Wellesley school budget amid enrollment slide

WELLESLEY — March 31, 2026 — Wellesley Town Meeting opens fiscal 2027 school budget debate as enrollment drops. Moderator Mark Kaplan reminded members that under Chapter 71, Section 34 they can only move the bottom line up or down, and that spending recommendations are "non-binding upon the school committee."