Telegram.com Worchester, Massachusetts By Michael Bailey February 28, 2017
AUBURN, MA – Springtime, when town officials’ fancies turn toward thoughts of the May annual town meeting.
On Monday the Board of Selectmen officially opened the warrant for the town meeting, scheduled for May 2, and a few potential articles have already popped up, including a proposed zoning bylaw amendment that would amend the town’s regional mall overlay district.
The Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board have each given unanimous approval to the proposed amendment, which would clear the way for the installation of two double-sided digital billboards at the Auburn Mall, overlooking the Massachusetts Turnpike. The billboards would financially benefit the mall, and additionally the town stands to reap a $1 million windfall from Total Outdoor Advertising, which will operate the billboards. The company has promised to make a “voluntary donation” to the town, paying the $1 million over a 20-year period, and that money has been marked as a possible funding source for the Drury Square revitalization project.