Selectman Candidates Face Off In Forum

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The three candidates for two selectmen seats in May’s town election faced off in last week’s Candidates Night Forum.

The annual event held by the Foxboro Jaycees saw selectmen Chris Mitchell and Ginny Coppola and challenger Leah Gibson take questions from Dan Libon of Foxborough Patch and Alexandra Gomes of the Foxboro Reporter and Sun Chronicle.

The race is the first time the board has had a contested race since 2016. Coppola said she is running for a third term because she feels she can still contribute to the board and she was asked to. She said that her time on the board has brought several things to town including a new town hall, new police chief, the implementation of the master plan, and new town counsel.

Mitchell, who is running for his second term, shared some of those accomplishments, specifically the master plan implementation and downtown sewer. He, like Coppola, is looking towards the development of Route 1 along with affordable housing for seniors.

Gibson touted her background at Mercer as a principal and proposal strategist, real estate agent, and work on the Taylor School PTO as the perfect mix of experience.

Business development was one of the more discussed issues of the night - both on Route 1 and the downtown area. With the return of the Orpheum, residents are once again spending their weekend nights at the local theater. All three agreed that the theater could be the catalyst for the future, with Coppola pointing out that the addition of sewer access makes the area better for development.

Mitchell added that while it was sad to see Aubuchon Hardware leave, the arrival of O'Reilly Auto Parts could give the area a fresh look.

Gibson said it warmed her heart to see more residents at the common and said it has been hard in the past to fill the empty storefronts.

All three agreed that future development would mean the likely demolition of the former home of Foxborough Fire Department and Keating Funeral Home.

“Driving by that building there are no questions if it would be impossible to renovate it and make it a safe place,” Gibson said.

Mitchell added that the recommendation to tear down the building came from former Building Inspector Bill Casbarra.

Over on Route 1, there is optimism that the zoning changes created 25 years ago to prevent the area from bearing similarities to Route 1 in Saugus could provide more revenue for the town. If approved by town meeting, new zoning changes would allow several uses by right including hotels, retail, and development and research facilities. All three candidates were for the changes and Gibson and Mitchell were optimistic that the proposed MBTA Commuter Rail pilot program would bring workers to the area. Coppola was more cautious, stating that we would know if there was a benefit to a Foxborough train stop at the completion of the pilot program.

“We’ll find out whether people do park there whether they take the train into Boston and whether people come out and reverse commute, when the pilot program is complete then we’ll know how successful it is,” Coppola said.

The candidates were recently asked about the recent power failures from the March storms, with the candidates endorsing a potential policy which would require no trees or branches within 10 feet of all power wires.

“The ground to sky clearing is something we’ll discuss as a board. It’s going to be a big change to the communities of Foxborough and 10 feet from the road there are a lot of trees I’m all for it,” Mitchell said.

All three candidates also had a chance to say what they think is an under the radar issue around town. Gibson said more must be done for the seniors, Mitchell mentioned the new capital improvement projects committee, and Coppola discussed a 90-bedroom housing authority project off of Walnut Street.

The Annual Town Election will take place May 7.

Below is the entire selectmen forum:

Image: File Photo