High School Construction Forces Relocation of July 4th Events
Festival's new location raises some concerns among officials, neighbors.
Despite the ongoing high school construction project, Wilmington's 33rd Annual Fourth of July Festival will go on as scheduled.
Just not in the same place.
At their meeting on March 11, selectmen heard about revised plans from Scott Garrant, Chairman of the Fourth of July Committee.
The Festival is scheduled to run July 2-7 and will include a carnival, fireworks, games and activities, as well as booths run by many of the community non-profit organizations.
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting, Garrant spelled out a plan to locate activities, rides and booths to a parking lot area near the Fourth of July Building, as well as a parcel of land that was once home to the Swain School, according to article appearing in the Town Crier.
Garrant told selectmen that efforts are being made to minimize any impact on residents living by the new location. Some residents have expressed concerns over noise, possible criminal activity and bright lights late into the evening, according to the Town Crier article.
Town Manager Jeffrey Hull said he feels the plan is something the town can work with. Public safety officials have also signed off on the plan.
Hull said he feels the biggest concerns to be addressed, moving forward with this year's festival, will be parking, traffic and emergency vehicle access.
martin t
2:04 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Putting the carnival in the student parking lot has to be the dumbest idea this town has had yet. Doesn't this town have any consideration for the residents on Powderhouse Circle and School St. I'm sure Manager Hall wouldn't be in favor if he lived on one of these streets.
Niko Pappas
5:17 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Let's put it this way. If I lived on Powderhouse Circle I'd be running down and joining the festivities each day. Wilmington is unique to every other town around it with our incredibly rousing celebration that brings everybody together. It's only for a few days out of the year, and it's not like it's going to happen every year. You have to give consideration to the greater good and look at it in the grand scheme of things.
Chuck Otis
4:46 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Martin T
I agree the local residents will be impacted for one week, but what other option does the 4th of July committee have other than cancelling the annual week of events that brings the whole town together like no other event in this area?
Chuck Otis
Wes welker
7:10 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Martin, typical nimby
martin t
7:53 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Chuck- I am not talking about the annual week of events as a whole. I'm talking about the carnival only. What about the town hall or yentiles farm for the carnival? Wes- Shouldn't you be in Denver by now?
Wes welker
11:16 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Town Hall or Yentiles farm?!?
Think about parking. Not just the space needed for the rides and booths. You need a place that can handle the thousands of cars per day going in and out and needing places to park. Neither the Town Hall or Yentiles Farm have that. The existing location does, thanks to the Church, wide roads and cemetery. Really, no other place in town can say that. The Shawsheen school area might be the closest, but even that would be really tight.