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Vol. 49 | No. 16 | April 21, 2023
Coderre says goodbye
Planning Board approves plans for Beal Commons
By Laura Hayes Managing Editor
PHOTO/LAURA HAYES
The former Beal school stands on Maple Avenue. Plans for Beal Commons have been approved.
SHREWSBURY – During a specially scheduled April 13 meeting, the Shrewsbury Planning Board voted to approve the site plans for Beal Commons, a proposed commercial and residential development on the site of the former Maj. Howard W. Beal School. The Planning Board approved the plans by a 4-1 vote. Steven Boulay, Joseph Thomas, Purna Rao, and Stephan Rodolakis voted to approve the plans. Timothy Jarry was opposed. Boulay proposed one change to the site plans, asking that Civico Greenly — the project’s developer — redesign the roof with dormers to better adhere to the town center district guidelines. This amendment passed 4-1. While Jarry noted he supported Boulay’s amendment, he ultimately voted against the proposal because of its “openended nature.” Beal Commons | 13
PHOTO/LAURA HAYES
By Evan Walsh Reporter
NORTHBOROUGH – Originally, John Coderre didn’t want to work in local government. When he was in his second year of his graduate program at the University of Connecticut, his adviser called him into her office and told him he needed an internship to graduate. She had contacted Mansfield Town Manager Martin Berliner and said that Coderre would be there on Monday to talk about an internship. Despite telling his adviser that he wanted to work at the state or federal level, not local, Coderre went to Mansfield and met with Berliner and the finance director. “He said, ‘You seem like a pretty sharp guy. Local government needs good people,’” Coderre recalled. This internship led to a career in local government, including the past 20 years in Northborough. Coderre ended up working for Berliner for the rest of his time in graduate school. He later took a postgraduate job in Windsor, Conn., where he was exposed to all of the departments in local government. As the year in Windsor came to an end, Coderre applied for two jobs — a legislative policy analyst for the
After serving as town administrator for 14 years, John Coderre has left Northborough for Foxborough.
Coderre | 9
Southborough withdraws from regional dispatch By Laura Hayes Managing Editor SOUTHBOROUGH – Weeks after the Select Board voted to join, Southborough has withdrawn from the MetroWest Regional Emergency Communication Center (RECC) District. The Select Board voted 2-1-2 to withdraw at its April 10 meeting with Select Board members
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Kathy Cook and Sam Stivers voting in favor, Andrew Dennington voting against and Chelsea Malinowski and Lisa Braccio abstaining. In February, Westborough, Grafton and Southborough voted to move ahead with forming a regional dispatch center, which will be located at Hocomonco Pond in Westborough; the Southborough vote was 4-1 with Regional dispatch | 6
Custom Interiors Hours: MTW: 11-4 • Th: 3-7 • Sat: 11-2 or call 508.330.1320 for appointment 26 South Street, Westborough