BY RYAN O’CONNOR

A last-minute initiative by several local business owners objecting to zoning amendment 2D was successful.

The group of roughly 12 active and another dozen semi-active business owners created a protest petition changing the necessary votes to pass from a simple majority of 50 percent to a super majority of 67 percent.

Though the article passed by a majority, 491-370, it failed to get the necessary two-thirds and was voted down.

According to Planning Board member Sandy Crystall, had the amendment passed, it wouldn’t have changed anything immediately, but would have had long-term implications on additional high-risk land uses, such as hazardous underground storage tanks that could leak.

She added that variances would have been given in certain cases when applied for.

“It certainly placed more restrictions on us, and the business group I’m a part of thought they were overly excessive and in some cases unnecessary restrictions,” said Peter Emanuel, owner of Zero Waste and Recycling Services. “There are already plenty of restrictions in place and if anything, at this point, we feel the town should work within the regulations that exist before they start passing more.

In the weeks leading up to balloting, Emanuel and several other local business owners set out to obtain signatures of those owning at least 20 percent of the land surrounding the 4,800-acre aquifer, which includes the Bow Bog Brook, Turee Pond and Turkey River.

The signatures were required to establish the super majority requirement.

Still, Emanuel points out that although he is happy to see the protest petition work, both the business owners and Planning Board are on the same side in wanting to protect the water aquifer, though he acknowledged each side has different views on how to accomplish the goal.

Voters also approved Zoning Amendment 2E, which changed the zoning of the town’s elementary and middle schools and the land across the street from residential and rural to civic.

The land across the street, at 19 Bow Center Road, is currently owned by resident Paul Hammond, and has been tabbed by resident Donna Morrison, for more than a year, to house a new youth center, which she hopes to open for before and after school programs.

Though the Planning Board did not support rezoning the land last year, because they didn’t want other commercial business moving into the property in the future, Crystall said those worries have been addressed.

“I think last year’s proposal would have allowed commercial use of the gym facility and I think it was that commercial use that was an issue for many folks who were really concerned that if the youth center wasn’t there down the road, someone else could come in and put in some other commercial venture,” said Crystall. “This year, the proposal doesn’t include commercial use. It’s just after-school care and such and not renting out the facility for nonchild or daycare stuff.”