CONWAY — Roughly 100 Annual Town Meeting voters gave their approval to 35 articles on Saturday, including allowing the Selectboard to acquire a permanent easement at 69 Main St. to undertake flood mitigation measures on the South River.
Other key articles that inspired discussion among the residents gathered at Conway Grammar School were a request for $100,000 for the town’s Fire Truck Stabilization Fund and a $42,388 request from the Historical Society for renovations to the Archibald MacLeish Stone House.
Article 8 asked the town to set aside $100,000 for the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund, which will go toward purchasing a new rescue pumper in 2028. Finance Committee Chair Alan Singer felt the article was “confusing and inconsistent,” noting that there are already multiple stabilization funds. He noted that he was among the people who originally voted to recommend the fund, but had since grown to doubt its financial viability.
Resident Howard Boyden said that while Singer had good points, fire trucks “aren’t what they used to be” and are now custom-built.
“By having a Fire Truck Stabilization Fund, it’s a way of being proactive,” Boyden said.
In a phone interview, Fire Chief Bob Baker noted that the last fire truck the department purchased cost $435,000, with the current cost estimated at around $650,000. It is unclear how the cost might change by 2028.
Article 8 ultimately passed.
The easement at 69 Main St. was discussed in Article 28. Town officials sought an easement on the back end of the property, which will allow the town to conduct the work needed to mitigate flooding in downtown Conway. In addition, Article 29 asked voters to appropriate $63,850 from the Community Preservation Fund for costs and expenses for land acquisition, rights of way, easements and other costs for 69 Main St., as well as two unnumbered parcels along Shelburne Falls Road.
Joe Strzegowski, an associate member of the Planning Board, noted that since the portion of land in which the flood mitigation work will take place is unbuildable, it is unlikely to be a strain on the town’s finances. Article 28 passed with the necessary two-thirds majority.
Also bundled into Article 29 was a $42,388 request from the Historical Society for renovations to the Archibald MacLeish Stone House on Pine Hill Road. MacLeish, a longtime resident of Conway, was an American poet and writer who won three Pulitzer Prizes and also served as the ninth Librarian of Congress.
However, despite the acclaim of its former resident, the Archibald MacLeish Stone House has been in disrepair for several years — something the Historical Society hopes to change. According to Historical Society President Peter Engelman, the plan is to preserve and renovate the structure so it can be used for special events such as Festival of the Hills. Engelman said the society has a budget of $50,000, with 40 Conway residents having donated money.
Resident Mary McClintock asked who owned the property, while also bringing up accessibility concerns. Engelman answered that the current owners will lease the property to the Historical Society and that the lease will become permanent upon their deaths. Regarding accessibility, Engelman stated the society plans to build a handicap-accessible path from the house to a small parking area.
Article 29 passed by a vote of 96-10 via electronic ballot.
Other articles on the warrant included:
■Amending the Floodplain District to comply with federal insurance standards.
■Authorizing the town to request special legislation to allow Police Chief Ken Ouimette and Police Officer Randall Williams to serve past age 65.
■Appropriating $21,600 for emergency pagers for the ambulance and Fire Department.
■Appropriating $7,400 for two portable speed radar detectors for the Police Department.