Natick Town Meeting Approves Lilja Study, CPA Grants

In this report: Key decisions · Full report · Sources

What happened

Fall Annual Town Meeting approved $300,000 for a feasibility study on Lilja Elementary School's aging heating system (not construction), funded through grants and town revenue. Members also approved two Community Preservation Act grants: $37,500 for the Natick Historical Society to digitize century-old photographs and $38,375 for an accessible connector between the Madera development and the town's rail trail. Members voted to receive a contested turf report but took no policy action.

Key decisions

• 💰 Lilja Elementary School heating and cooling feasibility study. Approved $300,000 for feasibility study and schematic design on Lilja Elementary School's heating and cooling system, funded by $150,000 state Department of Energy Resources grant, $100,000 from town's Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Capital Revolving Fund, and $50,000 from new growth revenue, with no borrowing required. Study is expected to take roughly three to four years, with any construction decision to come separately at a future town meeting. (Vote 118 yes, 1 no and 2 abstain). Read case details
• 💰 Madera to rail trail accessible pathway connector. Approved $38,375 (reduced from original $42,375) from Community Preservation Act Open Space and Recreation Reserve for ADA-accessible pathway connecting Madera residential development to town's rail trail. The Finance Committee's amendment to reduce to $34,375 was rejected 36 yes, 77 no, 1 abstain; a competing amendment by Precinct 6 member Josh Ostroff to $38,375 was adopted 101 yes, 11 no, 5 abstain. (Vote 81 yes, 28 no, 2 abstain). Read case details
• 💰 Natick Historical Society photograph digitization. Approved $37,500 from Community Preservation Act Historic Preservation Reserve to Natick Historical Society for digitizing and cataloging approximately century of photographs (roughly 1870-1970). Funding includes $25,000 to Northeast Document Conservation Center for professional digitization and $12,500 for temporary digital archivist position. (Vote 113 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain). Read case details
• 📋 Natural and Synthetic Turf Study Committee report. Members voted to hear and discuss the Natural and Synthetic Turf Study Committee report on field capacity, maintenance and safety, with no funding or policy action taken. The three-year moratorium on new synthetic turf installations and any future turf decisions remain unresolved, while Coal Field turf replacement proceeds separately under the existing capital plan. (Vote 107 yes, 9 no, 5 abstain). Read case details

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Full meeting report

The complete, section-by-section account of the meeting, 3,194 words, for members.

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