By K.B. Sherman, Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – The Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen accepted an award during its Dec. 9 meeting on behalf of the town recognizing it as a “Purple Heart Community.”
The Purple Heart is awarded to any member of the U.S. Armed Forces that has been wounded or died as a result of a wound in battle. It was first awarded by Gen. George Washington for “military merit during the Revolutionary War” but then fell into disuse. It was reestablished by Congress in 1932, the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birthday.
During the Dec. 9 selectmen’s meeting, Adam Costello, veterans’ service agent for Shrewsbury, Westborough, Northborough, and Grafton, spoke on behalf of the more than 30 local Purple Heart recipients and their families present and thanked the town for its support for veterans. Following the presentation, the board voted unanimously to continue for another two years the town’s membership in the Central Massachusetts Veterans’ Service District.
In other business, with a quorum of the Finance Committee and Retirement Board present, Daniel Sherman of Sherman Actuarial Services LLC, presented an in-depth and detailed look at the town’s post-retirement benefits analysis. Sherman noted that the town’s post-retirement funding will be fully funded by 2022 at the current rate and plan, putting Shrewsbury in a favorable financial position compared to other towns and cities in the state.
Regarding prior business, Selectmen Chair James Kane briefly commented about the proposed “friendly” 40B project offered by local attorney Roderick A. St. Pierre and Smart Growth Design LLC dba/Hartford Realty Trust of Shrewsbury at the selectmen’s Oct. 28 meeting. This project, which was rejected by the selectmen, would have added 192 units at 440 Hartford Turnpike and an additional 192 units at 526 Hartford Turnpike, both adjacent to the existing Hills Farm development.
During the Dec. 9 meeting, Kane noted that since then, Smart Growth Design had responded with a letter detailing what Kane characterized as a “hostile 40B proposal.” Details on that letter will be discussed at a future board meeting.