WELL FOLKS, from 4 December 2025 until tonight, 15 December 2025, I’ve been frozen out of the WordPress login and unable to get access to this Blogsite. Turns out the culprit was VPN software on my computer that somehow froze the WordPress login function even when the VPN was disconnected. The VPN was just updated to a new ‘version’ and, VOILA!, I’m back in.

So here is a quick and dirty overview of the 8 December 2025 Sterling Zoning Forum, held at the 1835 Town Hall, that I sent out to a few folks on 9 December via email:

Stephen Wallace had to write down a lot of points made by attendees at last night’s Sterling Zoning Forum. I’m thankful that quite a few mature, sharp, long-term Sterling residents showed up to make their valid points and concerns known.

1.  People absolutely DO NOT WANT THE PLANNING BOARD TO CONTROL MULTI-FAMILY AND SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS. THE PLANNING BOARD, RIGHTLY, IS VIEWED WITH DISTRUST AS A COLLECTION OF PRO-DEVELOPMENT HACKS. THE PEOPLE WANT SUCH DEVELOPMENTS TO BE SUBJECT TO SPECIAL PERMIT OVERSIGHT AND RULINGS BY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS (ZBA).

 2.  SO, Wallace/Planning Board backed off and it was pretty much agreed that Multi-Family Developments will remain separate and distinct and subject to Special Permit rulings by the ZBA as always.

 3.  ALSO, the people want Senior Housing developments to be subject to their own dedicated, NEW Zoning By-Law provisions, to be built in their own dedicated developments. Given practical difficulties with ‘Over-Age-55’ developments experienced by Littleton and other towns, Wallace/Planning Board will draft new proposed Zoning By-Laws governing dedicated Senior Housing with required smaller housing units. Town Counsel said that the number of bedrooms cannot be limited legally BUT THAT IT IS LEGAL TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF EACH SUCH HOUSING UNIT IN TERMS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE. 

4.  As indicated, Wallace/Planning Board also backed off on Senior Housing so it looks like such developments will be separate and distinct and SUBJECT TO ZBA SPECIAL PERMIT RULINGS.

 5.  Wallace essentially acknowledged that he blew the drafting of the ‘Compact Development Overlay District’ for 181 acres near the Sterling Airport. He/Planning Board will draft new proposed Zoning By-Laws for that area limiting the sizes (square footage) of the so-called ‘affordable’ homes/housing units that can be built there.

 6.  The arrogance of the Select Board, Planning Board, and Wallace were on display. They insist on sticking with their new proposed “Inclusionary Zoning” By-Law even though it is probably unconstitutional under the 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sheetz vs. County of Eldorado. A developer, just last week, filed a lawsuit challenging the Cambridge, MA, “Inclusionary Zoning” ordinance citing the Sheetz decision. SEE https://pioneerlegal.org/pioneer-new-england-legal-foundation-files-lawsuit-challenging-cambridge-inclusionary-zoning-ordinance/  So these clowns are putting Sterling at risk of a lawsuit.

 Stay tuned.

J.G.

SO, the Sterling Town Government virtue-signaling DEI Commies—I’M LOOKING AT YOU, KIRSTEN NEWMAN— in conjunction with their hired out-of-town blow-in payroll patriot tool ‘Town Planner’—I’M LOOKING AT YOU, STEPHEN WALLACE—have drafted an absolutely GAG-INDUCING “Inclusionary Zoning” By-Law that, henceforth, would force developers in Sterling to incorporate into their developments housing units–15%– for low-income folks. It’s a puke-worthy cookie-cutter product taken from other municipalities in this dysfunctional Commie Commonwealth–in the best Lemming Libtard virtue-signaling tradition. Here it is (try not to toss your cookies while reading it)—

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5788/Sterling-IZ-zoning-bylaw—draft?bidId=

EXCEPT THAT THERE IS ONE REALLY BIG PROBLEM WITH IT—MOST LIKELY IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AS A VIOLATION OF PROTECTED PROPERTY RIGHTS, IN VIEW OF THE 2024 U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION IN SHEETZ vs. COUNTY OF ELDORADO—

Click to access 22-1074_bqmd.pdf

Here is an article explaining the Scheetz decision implications for Massachusetts so-called “Inclusionary Zoning” provisions (that don’t work except in Libtard fantasyland anyway)—

https://natlawreview.com/article/supreme-courts-sheetz-decision-casts-doubt-validity-massachusetts-inclusionary

AND WOULDN’T YA’ KNOW, A DEVELOPER JUST CHALLENGED COMMIE CAMBRIDGE’S “INCLUSIONARY ZONING” ORDINANCE IN MASSACHUSETTS LAND COURT, CITING THE SCHEETZ DECISION—

Pioneer New England Legal Foundation Files Lawsuit Challenging Cambridge Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance

YEP, LEAVE IT TO THE STERLING MUNICIPAL BUILDING’S BLOVIATING, POSTURING, VIRTUE-SIGNALING INCOMPETENTS TO PUT FORTH THIS LEGALLY SUSPECT PIECE OF SH*T.

See you at the 8 December 2025 Sterling ‘Zoning Changes Forum.’

J.G.

Sterling’s out-of-town blow-in payroll patriot ‘Town Planner,’ together with the Sterling Planning Board Chaired by self-serving, self-dealing developer weasel Carl Corrinne, among other proposed zoning changes to be discussed during the Sterling 8 December 2025 ‘Zoning Forum,’ propose a “Compact Development Overlay District” comprised of two parcels, totaling 181 acres, near the Sterling Airport. Both are owned by “Fields at Greenmeadow, LLC” of Westford, Massachusetts. The purported rationale for that proposed “Compact Development Overlay District” is the supposed need of cheaper housing for “young families just starting out and for senior citizens looking to downsize and stay in town.” Under that proposal minimum lot sizes would be reduced to 30,000 square feet; minimum street frontage for a buildable lot would be reduced to 60 feet; and front, rear, and side yard setbacks would be reduced to 20 feet. Those parcels are now zoned “Rural Residential and Farming.” HOWEVER, “[a]ll of the uses permitted in the underlying zoning district (Rural-Residence) would still be allowed in [this] overlay district with the addition of multi-family development as a By-Right use” (emphasis original and added).

NOTE THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT SUCH AS LIMITING THE UNITS TO ONE OR TWO BEDROOMS OR LIMITING THE SQUARE-FOOT-SIZE OF ANY HOMES THAT COULD BE BUILT IN THAT “OVERLAY DISTRICT.”

THAT MEANS THAT DEVELOPERS COULD HAVE A FIELD DAY CRAMMING IN 100% ‘McMANSIONS’ ON 30,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS WITH 60 FEET OF STREET FRONTAGE INSTEAD OF ON 2 ACRE LOTS WITH 225 FEET OF STREET FRONTAGE NOW REQUIRED IN ‘RURAL RESIDENTIAL AND FARMING’-ZONED AREAS OF TOWN.

SEE:

§ 301-2.5Table of Dimensional Controls.

§ 301-2.5.1. 

Single-family and nonresidential buildings.

[Amended 6-14-2021 ATM by Art. 32, approved 12-10-2021]

Zoning District	Minimum Lot Size	Minimum Lot Frontage	Front Yard	Each Side	Rear Yard	Floor Area Ratio	Minimum Lot Width
Rural Residence & Farming	2.00 acres	225 feet	40 feet	25 feet	40 feet	—	100 feet
Neighborhood Residence	0.50 acre	125 feet	40 feet	20 feet	25 feet	—	50 feet
Commercial1	—	—	40 feet	20 feet	25 feet	0.5	—
Town Center	—	—	0 feet2	5 feet2	5 feet2	—	—
Light Industrial	—	—	40 feet	35 feet	40 feet	0.4	—

THIS IS PURE PRO-DEVELOPER BULLSHIT.

IF YOU HAD ANY DOUBT THAT STERLING IS NOW RUN BY DECEPTIVE, DISHONEST, AND/OR SELF-DEALING MORONS, THIS PROPOSAL SHOULD ELIMINATE ANY SUCH DOUBT.

Here is the proposal:

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5783/Compact-Development–District—Draft-3?bidId=

Here is the proposed ‘Overlay District’ map:

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5784/CDD-overlay-map?bidId=

See you at the 8 December 2025 Zoning Forum—

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=345&month=12&year=2025&day=4&calType=0

J.G.

Have you been wondering about the actors intent on overrunning Sterling with new housing developments?

Well, look no further than the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission. The Montachusett Regional Planning Commission, headquartered in Leominster, is CHOCK FULL OF ASSLICKS WHO SUPPORTED SO-CALLED ‘MBTA MULTI-FAMILY HIGH DENSITY ZONING DISTRICTS’ EVEN IN PLACES SUCH AS STERLING WAAAAY OUTSIDE THE ½ MILE LIMIT FROM MBTA FACILITIES SET FORTH IN MASS.GEN.LAWS CH. 40A, SECTION 3A, AND FURTHER AFFIRMED ON PAGES 5, 11, AND 12 IN THE MASSACHUSETTS SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT’S 8 JANUARY 2025 RULING IN ATTORNEY GENERAL vs. TOWN OF MILTON, FOR SUCH ‘MBTA ZONING DISTRICTS.’

AND WHO, YOU MAY ASK, ARE THE TWO PRO-‘MBTA ZONING DISTRICTS’ ASSLICKS REPRESENTING STERLING ON THE MONTACHUSETT REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION???

ANSWER: NONE OTHER THAN STERLING SELECT BOARD CHAIR KIRSTEN NEWMAN AND HER HUSBAND, ERIC NEWMAN, WHO SITS ON THE STERLING PLANNING BOARD CHAIRED BY SELF-SERVING, SELF-DEALING DEVELOPER WEASEL CARL CORRINNE.

I’M SHOCKED, SHOCKED!!!

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THEM LISTED:

Click to access november_6_2025_mrpc_meeting_minutes.pdf

SO, IT SHOULD COME AS ABSOLUTELY NO SURPRISE WHATSOEVER THAT OUT-OF-TOWN BLOW-IN STEPHEN WALLACE, APPOINTED BY THE STERLING SELECT BOARD AS PURPORTED ‘STERLING TOWN PLANNER,’ IS UP THE COLLECTIVE ASSES OF THE MONTACHUSETT REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION ASSLICKS IN THEIR MULTI-PAGE PLAN TO OVERRUN OUR TOWN OF STERLING WITH ADDITIONAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.

HERE’S THAT PLAN:

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5794/Sterling-2025-HPP-Update—1st-Draft?bidId=

IT IS NOW ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THE STERLING SELECT BOARD, THE STERLING PLANNING BOARD, AND BLOVIATING NITWIT ‘PAYROLL PATRIOT’ STEPHEN WALLACE ARE INTENT ON WRECKING STERLING’S SEMI-RURAL CHARACTER, THE VERY CHARACTER THAT ATTRACTED MOST OF US TO THIS TOWN.

ARE THEY STUPID, ARROGANT, DESTRUCTIVE, ROBOTIC ASSLICKS?

ANSWER: HELL YES!

In coming days I’ll be commenting on at least some of the various destructive proposed zoning changes to be discussed at the Town of Sterling 8 December 2025 ‘Zoning Forum’—

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=345&month=12&year=2025&day=4&calType=0

Here are the multiple proposed zoning changes:

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/718/Zoning-Proposals-for-2026-Annual-Town-Me

SEE YOU AT THE 8 DECEMBER 2025 ‘ZONING FORUM.’

J.G.

Paul Brodmerkle is the co-owner of land off Metropolitan Road, Sterling, very near Wachusett Reservoir, the drinking water supply for 3 million people in eastern Massachusetts, upon which he proposes to build a fire hazard Solar Farm and Lithium-Ion Battery Backup Bank. He is also the manager of South Meadow Solar LCC, the proponent. He is also the Massachusetts Registered Professional Engineer who just happened to sign and seal the plans for that fire hazard that were filed with the Town of Sterling. As such, he is in a total self-serving, self-dealing conflict of interest in violation of 250 CMR 5.02(4).

250 CMR 5.00 et seq. sets forth standards for registered engineers and land surveyors in Massachusetts. Here are key provisions:

5.02: Professional Conduct. Each Professional Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor has an ethical duty to the public, the profession, and his or her clients. In order to protect the health, property, and welfare of the public and to establish and maintain a high standard of integrity and practice in the professions of engineering and land surveying, the following Rules of Professional Conduct and all other applicable provisions of 250 CMR shall be binding on every Professional Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor. Failure to comply with 250 CMR, including the rules of professional responsibility in 250 CMR 5.02(1) through (5), or M.G.L. c. 112, §§ 61 to 65E and §§ 81D to 81T may constitute grounds for disciplinary action against the Registrant.

(1) Responsibility. A Registrant shall hold paramount the health, property and welfare of the public in the performance of the Registrant’s professional duties.

(a) If the professional judgment of any Registrant is overruled under circumstances where the health, property or welfare of the public may be endangered, that Registrant shall notify the Registrant’s employer, client or such other authority as may be appropriate.

(b) A Registrant shall provide professional services that are truthful, based upon independent professional judgment, founded upon adequate knowledge of the issues, and based upon competence in the subject matter.

(c)   A Registrant shall approve, sign or seal only those Instruments of Service that conform to 250 CMR and generally accepted engineering and land surveying standards.

(d) A Registrant shall not reveal facts, data or information obtained in a professional capacity, without the prior consent of the Registrant’s employer except as authorized or required by law or regulation.

(e)   A Registrant shall not permit the use of the Registrant’s name or firm name nor associate in business ventures with any person or firm which the Registrant may have reason to believe is engaging in fraudulent or dishonest business or professional practices.

(f)   A Registrant shall provide the Board with any information and assistance the Board may deem necessary for the investigation/prosecution of complaints filed with the Board… (emphasis added).

(4)  Conflicts of Interest. A Registrant shall act professionally for each employer or client as a faithful agent and shall avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance of conflicts of interests.

(a) A Registrant shall make full prior disclosures to the Registrant’s employers or clients of potential conflicts of interest or other circumstances which could influence or appear to influence the Registrant’s judgment or the quality of their services. The Registrant bears responsibility for maintaining documentation of compliance with this requirement.

(b) A Registrant shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one party for concurrent services on the same project unless the circumstances are fully disclosed in writing to all interested parties.

(c) A Registrant shall not solicit or accept compensation, financial or otherwise, directly or indirectly, from contractors, vendors or other parties in connection with work for employers or clients for which the Registrant is responsible (emphasis added).

If this project were built and the lithium-ion battery storage banks burned, toxic heavy metals particles would pollute the Wachusett Reservoir.

SEE:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-29/heavy-metals-found-in-monterey-estuary-after-moss-landing-lithium-battery-fire

https://ctif.org/news/solar-farm-lithium-ion-battery-fire-took-four-days-extinguish

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/solar-farm-battery-fire-upstate-new-york-possible-toxic-smoke-shelter-in-place-lyme-jefferson-county/

https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/after-three-fires-and-a-solar-plant-toxic-fumes-scare-new-york-launches-safety-probe-into-battery-energy-storage/2-1-1493418?zephr_sso_ott=N6SZMf

Moreover, if adjacent Cadmium-Telluride solar panels burned then highly toxic cadmium particles would also be released.

SEE: https://www.nrel.gov/pv/cadmium-telluride-solar-cells

SO, PAUL BRODMERKLE IS A WALKING CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST SCUMBAG POTENTIALLY ENDANGERING THE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY FOR 3 MILLION EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS.

WHO MISSED SPOTTING BRODMERKLE’S SEAL AND SIGNATURE ON THE PLANS HE FILED WITH THE TOWN OF STERLING???

a). Our vaunted out-of-town blow-in Town Planner;

b). The ENTIRE Planning Board;

c). Our vaunted out-of-town blow-in Town Administrator;

d). The ENTIRE Select Board; and

e). The ENTIRE Finance Committee.

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY, AT THE 13 NOVEMBER 2025 STERLING SPECIAL TOWN MEETING ARTICLE 4, PERMITTING THE STERLING SELECT BOARD MORONS TO GRANT THIS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PROJECT A PROPERTY TAX DODGE, PASSED.

SIX (6) MORONS ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ENDORSED THAT PROPERT TAX DODGE FOR THIS PROPOSED HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SITE.

YA,YA, YOUR ‘TOWN GOVERNMENT,’ SUCH AS IT IS, AT WORK AGAIN!!!

I have reported Mr. Brodmerkle to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and filed with it a formal Application for Complaint against Brodmerkle.

Stay tuned!

J.G.

CONGRATULATIONS INTELLIGENT AND SANE STERLING TAXPAYERS, YOU SAVED YOURSELVES A BUNDLE OVER 30 YEARS BY VOTING DOWN THE STERLING D.P.W. GARAGE MAHAL BOONDOGGLE, AN ABOMINATION AND OUTRIGHT INSULT AT $33 MILLION FOR 37,000 SQUARE FEET, OR $892 PER SQUARE FOOT.

This shameful episode demonstrated for all that the Sterling D.P.W. Superintendent, the D.P.W. Board, the Finance Committee, and the Select Board won’t hesitate to screw Sterling property taxpayers to the max unless stopped by US, the taxpayers. They are lazy, stupid, posing, posturing, dishonest, self-promoting, self-important, propagandizing, unrestrained tax-and-spend incompetents.

FISCAL RESTRAINT IS UP TO US AND THAT MEANS CONTINUING VERY LARGE TAXPAYER TURNOUTS AT ALL FUTURE TOWN MEETINGS.

J.G.

Here’s a suggestion for the brilliant Sterling D.P.W. Facilities Committee and the brilliant Sterling D.P.W. Board—

CONTACT PEZZUCO CONSTRUCTION, INC. AND GET AN ESTIMATE FOR A FABRICATED STEEL D.P.W. BUILDING.

Here’s what the Town of Berlin, MA, D.P.W. got for a new steel building in 2018:

New Highway Barn Rising in Berlin, MA

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETED TOWN OF BERLIN D.P.W. BUILDING IN THIS PHOTO SLIDESHOW:

https://www.telegram.com/picture-gallery/news/local/the-item/2018/10/19/item-slideshow-berlin-opens-new/66264209007/

The foregoing is yet more proof that the Town of Sterling is RUN BY OUT-OF-CONTROL ASSCLOWNS.

J.G.

HOW: Attend the Sterling Special Town Meeting (Re-scheduled)
WHERE: Chocksett School, 40 Boutelle Road
WHEN: Thursday, November 13, at 6:30 P.M.. HUGE TAXPAYER TURNOUT EXPECTED AGAIN– GET THERE EARLY!!!
WHY: To stop the Sterling Department of Public Works’ $33 million, 37,000 square foot truck garage/truck palace project (known as the ‘Garage Mahal’) and the HUGE, LONG-TERM property tax hike that would come with it.

Sterling D.P.W. officials want voter approval to build a monument to themselves– a $33 million ‘Garage Mahal.’ And if they get their way, Sterling property taxpayers will be footing the bill for the next 30 years to come through a borrowing bond that could raise your property taxes by roughly 11% according to Sterling Finance Committee member Mark Gauthier.

SEE https://www.sterling-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1266/f/minutes/11-13-2024_dpw_facility_committee_minutes.pdf

The only way to stop it is to show up and vote at the Special Town Meeting on Thursday, November 13, to eliminate the preliminary design-phase request for $2.2 Million in funding. In their utter arrogance, D.P.W. officials refused to even consider building much cheaper carport/truckport structures to protect D.P.W. trucks from the weather, and also refused to consider cheaper fabricated steel building options used commonly by municipalities and businesses, like those all along Pratt Junction and Chocksett Roads (including the MassDOT facility on Chocksett Road!). There are MANY steel building makers from which to choose design options and take bids.

THE STERLING D.P.W.’S FALSE STATEMENT ON THE ‘GARAGE MAHAL’ PER-SQUARE-FOOT BUILDING COST:

During the 18 September 2025 Joint Finance Committee-Capital Budget Committee-D.P.W Board Meeting, televised by Sterling-Lancaster Community TV (watch it here if you can stand it)—

Sterling D.P.W. mouthpieces said that the 37,000 square foot ‘Garage Mahal’ they want will cost $33,000,000. They further said that that equates to $742 per square foot in building costs. That square footage cost figure is absolutely FALSE.

Dividing $33,000,000 by 37,000 equals $892 per square foot in building costs!

HELL, if the Sterling D.P.W., Weston & Sampson (its proposed engineers), and Vertex (its proposed project manager) add in some gold leaf they can run the building cost up to $1000 per square foot. What’s another $108 per square foot when you already intend to screw Sterling property taxpayers BIG TIME???!!!

THE GILFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, D.P.W. IS GETTING A BIG, NEW, FABRICATED STEEL BUILDING ON A SLAB FOR $11 MILLION, NOT $33 MILLION!

Gilford, New Hampshire, is a tax-rich Town of 7,700 residents–about the same population as Sterling. It is tax-rich because it is a town with extremely high-value taxable properties on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. SO, the Gilford, NH, D.P.W. is getting its own ‘Garage Mahal’—a fabricated steel building on a slab—BUT FOR $11.2 Million—-ONE-THIRD (1/3) THE COST OF THE STERLING D.P.W.’s PROPOSED ‘GARAGE MAHAL’ BOONDOGGLE. AND THE GILFORD, NH, D.P.W. BUILDING COST WAS DRIVEN UP BY THE NEED TO REMOVE ROCK LEDGE—NOT AN ISSUE HERE IN STERLING.

SEE:

https://www.gilfordnh.gov/entity/NEW-GILFORD-PUBLIC-WORKS-FACILITY-PROJECT-36

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/local/gilford-voters-asked-to-fund-new-dpw-building-baseball-field-upgrades/article_4af15d02-f92e-11ef-8e08-034c207fb791.html

THE PLAYBOOK NEVER CHANGES:

Here’s how this kind of utterly absurd, wasteful Town of Sterling spending keeps happening:

A small group of insiders (cronies) always shows up for the Town Meeting. They know that the average taxpayer — busy with work, kids, and life — doesn’t have time for night meetings. So, they vote themselves new facilities, new spending, and leave every Sterling property taxpayer holding the bag. SO, if you don’t show up and control these cronies you open your next tax bill and wonder how it got so high. There are only 8000 residents in Sterling (including children), and 22% of Sterling adults live on fixed incomes. Do Sterling D.P.W. trucks take precedence over the lives of struggling Sterling Senior Citizens? Thirty-three million dollars ($33 million) in new spending would constitute a crushing tax burden for our small-town taxpayer population across the board. NOTE: Both the Sterling Select Board and the Sterling Finance Committee are comprised of bloviating, gutless, posturing, tax-and-spend insiders/cronies too. Ignore their recommendations.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Before you skip this meeting, take a look at your property tax bill. Then picture that number going up by 11% for 30 years. Does that make your life easier or harder?

If you’re tired of endless, wasteful spending and higher taxes, this is your chance to draw the line. Be there Thursday night, November 13 at 6:30 PM.

Vote ‘NO’ on the Sterling D.P.W. ‘Garage Mahal’ appropriation/spending Warrant Article—ARTICLE 2.

STAY INFORMED:

This previous posting provides additional details about the Sterling D.P.W.’s ‘Garage Mahal’ boondoggle, although now we know that the REAL per-square-foot building cost for the Sterling D.P.W. ‘Garage Mahal’ is $892, NOT $742:

ARROGANT, OUT-OF-CONTROL STERLING D.P.W. PRICKS INSIST ON THEIR PROPOSED $33 MILLION ‘GARAGE MAHAL’ BOONDOGGLE. THEY ADMIT NOT EVEN CONSIDERING  MUCH CHEAPER PRE-FAB STEEL BUILDING(S), AND THEY WANT HALF AN ACRE (20,000 SQUARE FEET) OF HEATED INDOOR SPACE FOR THEIR VERY SENSITIVE DIESEL TRUCKS

To get updates straight to your inbox, free of charge, scroll down on this Blog site and subscribe. You can always be one step ahead of the next Sterling Town Government boondoggle by doing so! 

WHAT: Sterling Special Town Meeting (Re-scheduled). HUGE TAXPAYER TURNOUT EXPECTED AGAIN–GET THERE EARLY!!!
WHERE: Chocksett School, 40 Boutelle Road
WHEN: Thursday, November 13, at 6:30 P.M.
WHY: To defeat the Department of Public Works’ proposed $33 million ‘Garage Mahal’ Boondoggle and its Proposition 2 1/2 property tax override/debt exclusion that would add significantly to your property tax bills for 30 years to come.

J.G.

 

Folks, let’s just go back to the May 2025 Sterling Annual Town Meeting and recall what the Sterling Planning Board, our Blow-In-Payroll-Patriot Town Planner from Framingham, the Select Board, and the Finance Committee ALL pushed—the re-zoning of “Performance Zone 1″ along Route 140 and Dana Hill Road to Commercial.

WHY? To encourage development there IN ODER TO INCREASE THE TAX BASE AND PROPERTY TAX REVENUES FOR THE TOWN OF STERLING. They got their way.

SO WHAT DID THE STERLING SELECT BOARD PUT ON THE NOVEMBER 2025 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT???

NONE OTHER THAN COMPLETELY VAGUE, OVERBROAD, AND UNDEFINED ARTICLE 4–  

https://www.sterling-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1266/f/uploads/stm_warrant_final_2025.pdf

–that would permit the Select Board Cretins to enter into a SWEETHEART GIVEAWAY DEAL WHEREBY THE OWNER/DEVELOPER OF A PROPOSED, HAZARDOUS LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PARK OFF METROPOLITAN ROAD NEAR THE WACHUSETT RESERVOIR WOULD MAKE PAYMENTS TO THE TOWN OF STERLING “IN LIEU OF [PROPERTY] TAXES.”

IN OTHER WORDS, THE SELECT BOARD WANTS TO ENABLE THAT OWNER/DEVELOPER TO DODGE FULL, ASSESSED PROPERTY TAXES–POTENTIALLY FOREVER.

NOT ONLY IS THE SELECT BOARD COMPRISED OF TWO-FACED CRETINS—SO IS THE STERLING FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT ENDORSED THIS TAX DODGE BY A VOTE OF 6-1.

THE PROPOSED TAX DODGE IS BAD ENOUGH. THE FACT THAT LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PARKS ARE A FIRE HAZARD MAKES THIS SCAM EVEN WORSE.

Such a battery park has been proposed in the Town of Oakham, Massachusetts, in the Quabbin Reservoir Watershed.

This is what the Town of Oakham Fire Chief and some residents had to say about it:

“The potential is there. It’s not unprecedented.. we’ve seen fires at these storage facilities,” Danielle Stevens said. “It’s not unprecedented and it’s not old technology – some of these fires just happened this year.”

One of the biggest battery storage sites caught on fire back in January in Monterey County, California. The blaze forced 1,500 people to leave their homes. Fires have been reported at a handful of other battery storage facilities in California and New York over the past few years.

“No one could handle a fire in a place like this,” Oakham Fire Chief Timothy Howe said. “They burn for days. It doesn’t matter If you are a small town like us with an on-call fire department or a large 400-person department, you’re not putting it out.”

Howe said a battery fire in Oakham would be even worse because the town doesn’t have a public water system and relies on 20 volunteer firefighters.

But fire risk is still just one of the reasons the town is banning together to block the project.

Residents expressed concerns about the proposed site’s proximity to the Ware River Watershed, which runs into the Quabbin Reservoir.

“People need to understand that they might not know where Oakham is or have ever heard of the town before but this could impact a lot of people’s lives in a very, very difficult way,” the Stevens said.

Oakham residents said they worry the project would impact the drinking water for millions of Massachusetts residents who rely on the Quabbin Reservoir.

“If a fire did break out and there was run off into the ground, residents are going to lose their drinking water,” Howe said. “If we pollute that water, its not just us that is going to have a problem it is all of metro Boston.”

In a statement, Rhynland Energy told 7 Investigates, “The project is being developed in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations and includes modern safety systems designed to meet or exceed the established national standards.”

Brian O’Connor is a senior engineer at the National Fire Protection Association. He acknowledges that lithium-ion batteries can be hazardous.

“It generates toxic gas, flammable gas, has an explosion and fire potential, but these are things that regulations are constantly looking out for and trying to make sure that we’re mitigating and reducing these risks in a way that they can be acceptable to the community when they are installed,” O’Connor said.

SEE  https://whdh.com/7-investigates/7-investigates-battery-park/

Check out the disastrous consequences of the Monterey, CA, lithium-ion battery park fire–

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-29/heavy-metals-found-in-monterey-estuary-after-moss-landing-lithium-battery-fire

The Sterling Special Town Meeting has been rescheduled to 13 November 2025. Article 4 is yet another Warrant Article Sterling voters should vote to shitcan.

See you there!

J.G.