Chesterfield voters OK land gift for cemetery

The Mount Cemetery in Chesterfield is shown in April. Voters Thursday accepted the donation of more than an acre of land on the uphill side of the cemetery.

The Mount Cemetery in Chesterfield is shown in April. Voters Thursday accepted the donation of more than an acre of land on the uphill side of the cemetery. STAFF PHOTO/JAMES PENTLAND

By JAMES PENTLAND

Staff Writer

Published: 01-26-2024 3:58 PM

CHESTERFIELD — The Mount Cemetery is set for an expansion after voters at Thursday’s special Town Meeting approved a donation of more than an acre of land on the uphill side of the cemetery.

Town Administrator Brenda Lessard said only two of the 51 voters at the meeting voted against accepting the gift from the Osborne family.

The cemetery article and another article seeking voter approval for the acceptance of Damon Pond Road and North Street as public ways generated the most discussion at the meeting, which lasted more than 90 minutes, Lessard said.

The road issue came to the town’s attention when the state Department of Transportation, in planning for repaving the two roads in 2027, reported that it was unable to find a record of the town accepting the layout for them, especially Damon Pond Road.

“It was a housekeeping issue, to accept the right-of-way,” Lessard said.

Voters approved the article, 43-4.

They also agreed to take $800 from free cash to put up eight signs identifying Chesterfield as a “Right to Farm Community” on all the major roads into town, and approved the creation of a stabilization fund for money the town receives from the national opioid settlement.

Lessard said the state strongly suggests that towns take this step. So far, she said, Chesterfield has received $7,430.43. The money can be used for certain purposes related to public health.

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“We may pool it with other towns — we haven’t decided which direction we’re going with that,” she said. “We hope we’ll find some way of using it that benefits our community.”