Pepperell Select Board Advances Birch Drive Street Acceptance After Years of Delays

PEPPERELL — September 24, 2025 — Pepperell's fire chief hire collapsed on the day of the Select Board's September 24 meeting, with the chosen candidate withdrawing after contract negotiations failed. Town Administrator Andrew told the board the breakdown was not over money, declining to share details publicly; Acting Chief Miltie Blood will remain in place while the town decides how to proceed. On a separate track, the board voted unanimously to begin the formal street acceptance process for Birch Drive Extension, a 20-unit 40B affordable housing development built by Hedgetone Properties, with the Planning Board set to weigh in October 6 and the final vote reserved for a fall special town meeting. The board also approved creation of a flag gift account under MGL Chapter 44, Section 53A — estimated at roughly $5,000 per replacement cycle for approximately 100 flags along Main Street — and greenlit flying a kindness flag at the Unity Pole during National Kindness Week, November 10 through 16. In a letter to regional school leadership still being finalized, the board directed staff to add a formal request that the district produce a five-year financial plan, with the town committing to a parallel projection of its own.