At their meeting Tuesday evening, the selectmen expressed their support for the owners of the former General Store in the town center. The new owners, Lyn and Adam Horowitz, are asking the town to let them use some pieces of town-owned property for various improvements so they can reopen the store. Town voters will weigh in on the requested easements at a special town meeting this fall.
As the Horowitzes have worked to restore the building and bring it up to code, they have discovered they cannot move forward because they do not own some pieces of the land on which the store sits. Adam Horowitz said that they must construct a ramp for handicap accessibility and bring the fire escape up to code. Both these construction projects would include pieces of land that the town owns. The new owners sought support from the Board of Selectmen as they take the necessary steps to bring these issues to a town vote at an October special town meeting. Several comments from town residents present at Tuesday’s meeting encouraged the selectmen to cooperate with the Horowitzes, saying that the revival of the General Store is important for the community. The selectmen voiced their support for Horowitz and encouraged him to quickly draw together documents to present to town counsel.
Horowitz also spoke about the easement for the store’s septic system. In 1971, a town meeting vote allowed the owners of the General Store to place their septic system on town property between the store and the Congregational Church. However, there is no legal easement on record. Horowitz requested that this arrangement be formalized. The selectmen also supported this request and noted that it must also be approved by town meeting vote.
