POLL RESULTS: “A new school is desperately needed” vs. “Milton will become a parking lot”

Related article: Land swap proposed by Milton School Building Committee as location for new school

POLL RESULTS: Do you support the conservation land swap in order to build a new school?

Since having shared this poll, the School Building Committee, made up of Milton volunteer residents, held a meeting on May 27th and presented a revised plan. The committee has been working through options and the latest proposal is in response to Home Inc residents and environmentalists alike.

The new plan moves the site toward Pine Tree Brook and reroutes Gile Road. In doing so, it preserves a larger part of the Lamb estate than originally proposed. Many members of Home Inc. were also in attendance and were optimistic about the revised plan, which greatly increases the setback from the school to Home Inc.

Because of the changes, ARTICLE 34, originally part of the Spring 2022 Annual Town Meeting Warrant, will be removed from voting during the June 6th Town Meeting and will be reintroduced with the changes at the next Town Meeting.

View the May 27th School Building Committee meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1GLx4w-w_E

Poll Comments:

“A new school is desperately needed and this is a reason compromise to make that happen.”

“Another school in that area will negatively affect the traffic on Canton Ave. I can wait 10 min to get out of Gulliver S.t in the a.m. and p.m. when the high school is in session This traffic added to the new building of 133 apartments off canton ave will create a nightmare. How will ambulances or fire trucks access our neighborhoods? I also object to using conservation land for a purpose it was not designated for. Milton will be one large parking lot with no green space left All this building in residential areas will change Milton negatively Why not use the land on Randolph Ave. for a school??”

“Biggest issue for me is longer term – who would ever donate land to the town again if it becomes clear their wishes would be disregarded as to its use?”

“I strongly support the new school near the high school.”

“I fully support our school system. However, in this era of climate change I do not believe that a mature forest should be sacrificed on the altar of expediency when other options, such as two smaller schools, have not been considered or explored by the school building committee.”

“The town should offset the loss of trees by building a net zero school.”

“Milton’s seniors have supported the schools needs over the years with countless overrides. It’s now time for the town to support the seniors in the town.”

“This gives us land for a school and INCREASES conservation land. Big win all around.”

“We should use lower fields space at the high school instead of cutting down more trees.”

“Where else would you put it? Over 12 hours of debate at Town Meetings (Warrant Committee, Conservation Commission and Select Board) with no other alternatives offered…. Seems this is the place….”

Disclaimer:

Miltonscene.com online polls are not intended to be a scientific sample of local opinion. Instead, they are a way for readers to share their views on the news with the Milton Scene and Milton Neighbors.

Respondents are not randomly selected, but select themselves to vote on a specific question or set of questions. In addition, while Miltonscene.com online polls are designed to allow only one vote per user, technically savvy users may find ways around this limitation. For these reasons, the polls are not presented as scientific surveys or as representative of the opinion of the general population of our readership areas, region or nation.