Dear Hopkinton neighbors:

Marguerite Concrete, on April 21^st, claimed to have withdrawn their article from the town warrant. However, the deadline has long passed. Therefore Article 29 will still be up for a town vote at a town meeting. The Selectboard and Planning Board recommended them to make a motion for “no action”, however, there is no guarantee that will occur. 

They say they need more time working with local residents, but don’t be fooled! 

Don’t be fooled by the claim that they had won ‘positive support’ from the community. They had not. This is why they postponed the vote; they finally understood the depth of opposition to their proposal.

Don’t be fooled by their claims that they have made concessions to neighbors. Lake Maspenock residents have consistently asked for a thorough traffic plan to avoid what has been widely accepted as a ‘perfect storm traffic disaster.’ No plan has come forward. Nor has a plan for pollution mitigation or to protect the privacy of the children and families whose homes would be in direct line of sight of this three-story, 24,000 sq foot building.

Don’t be fooled by false promises of jobs and internships. These promises are the types of meaningless corporate pledges that companies who feel opposition from neighbors make all the time. They are worth less than the paper they are written on. 

Don’t be fooled by the idea that this land will forever be a corporate office building. Once it is rezoned, there is nothing stopping Marguerite from bringing other parts of its concrete company or other uses into this site. 

In a letter to the local newspaper editor, Mr. Bemins, one of Marguerite Concrete’s representatives, said they would try to work with the Board of Selectmen and other town departments to get their ill-advised proposal through. This statement reveals exactly what they want: to stitch up a backroom deal without engaging neighbors and Hopkinton community members. 

The Board of Selectmen, other town officials, and the entire community must stand against this corporate takeover of a residential neighborhood. The core question is this: Whose side are you on? An out-of-town corporation or Hopkinton residents and neighbors are concerned about the impacts of a concrete company headquarters on their lakefront community. 

When Marguerite Concrete brings its proposal back before Town Meeting, we must mobilize with urgency and vote it down, including on May 1st. Let us not be fooled by their false claims and empty promises.

Vikasith Pratty, Rustem Rafikov, and The Lake Maspenock Neighborhood