[Rich, 00:49]
Angered at Article 5...

I am going to step out of the generally flat tone I have been using here to state that I am incensed by the recommended vote under Article 5 of the Special Town Meeting, condemn it as hypocritical, and want to see it defeated as it stands.

The freely admitted purpose of the recommended vote is to remove a hardship the Town suffers with regard to the Pierce Field (at the high school) cleanup. To affordably complete the cleanup, the Town needs a variance re: wetlands from the Conservation Commission. However, the Town's wetlands by-law does not give the ConCom that power. In response, the powers-that-be are proposing a very narrowly drawn amendment that will essentially only give the ConCom the power to issue a wetlands variance for only the Pierce Field project.

I cannot countenance selective rule-bending like this. I was against it in the case of the George White vote, and I am against it here. Let the Town either live with the hardship like any residents in a similar situation would have to, or provide for a more general, fair variance power and not one rigged to let Town government have its cake and eat it, too (and note that Arlington is one of the only municipalities with a local wetlands by-law that does not give its ConCom variance powers).

Unless an amendment is approved which removes this rigging and allows for variances for residents, I will vote against the proposed vote and urge others to do so as well.