To the editor,
I am one of many who sought the election of Joe Story as selectman in Newbury a few years ago. We all are familiar with the Story family's long history as hard working and community minded people.
The following are my observations of Joe in the role of Selectman and not as the more easy going part time farmer, former nuclear plant worker, diehard Republican and current bar owner that many see him as.
To me the Joe that I voted for and the Joe that has been in office have been very different. I am calling out what I see as shortcomings in Joe's work as an elected official in order to provide another perspective on next Tuesday's selectmans race. Regardless of the outcome, my hope is to improve the way Town Hall works while facing tough financial demands and increasing development pressure (and decreasing sand on Plum Island) in the term ahead.
In the area of communication, Joe has a tendency to address critics with profanity and some name calling, creating un-necessary antagonism between residents and town government.
Farming has been a family tradition in Newbury since it's founding, but development pressure on farmland has exploded. At town meeting, Joe vehemently opposed the zero-cost aquisition of land in the Common Pasture (along Scotland Road-Coffins Island) as conservation land, claiming Newbury has too much conservation land now. The people of Newbury have stated their preference for preserving the rural character of the town and keeping taxes low, neither of which have been reflected in Joe's record on these issues.
In local planning we have a large and growing population of people who work from their homes. Protecting this right as residential density grows is an important local issue. Many of us have heard Joe criticize those who complain about commercial enterprises in residential districts, but we have seen no planning work by Joe to make the co-existence of residents of different occupations manageable and keeping growing local businesses in town.
Regarding ethics, despite our efforts of mediation, Selectman Story and I have an on-going disagreement over building permits for 40 acres of farmland next to Old Town Hill that was formerly designated landlocked (unbuildable) by the assessors office. My real estate development experience did not prepare me for the disregard of government responsibilities and authority I encountered in connection with Joe on this project. His lack of wetland permits and his claim to the existence of a buildable public road (which bisects Old Town Hill Conservation Land off Newman Road) has put my regard for Joe as the public official on it's head. Such a road would make development of 60 acres of his own farmland adjacent to this claimed roadway a developers goldmine.
I liked the old Joe much better.
I am voting for Steve St.Arnault for Newbury selectman on the basis of his ethics, his fiscal discipline, his family, his ability to listen and speak politely and his clear pledge to preserve the rural character of Newbury.
David Hall
Newbury
