Published in the April 12, 2018 edition
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Ryan Carroll, 21 Bishops Way, has officially declared himself to be a write-in candidate for one of two seats on the Community Planning Commission (CPC) in the annual Town Election on May 8.
He and his wife Jamie have lived in town for 10 years and are the parents of four young daughters, Delaney, 6 1/2, Finley, 4 1/2, Morgan, 3, and Ainsley, 1.
“The things we love about North Reading, the open space and the small town feel, that’s something we value and the reason we moved here to raise our family,” Carroll told the Transcript in a phone interview. “It is something we want to see maintained, although at the same time everyone recognizes that times change, a lot of businesses turn over, and a lot of planning has to go into how North Reading is going to grow and evolve for the next generation of people who live here.”
Carroll believes he can put his experience in real estate and construction to good use as a member of the CPC. “I think I could be a good voice for North Reading,” he said.
He works as a senior construction project manager for C.B. Richard Ellis New England, a real estate brokerage firm.
Carroll learned that there was an opening for one of the two three-year terms on the board after the deadline had passed to submit nomination papers to be officially included on the town ballot. Neal A. Rooney III had taken out nomination papers for the seat but was four signatures shy of the 50 needed to be included by the deadline.
Running for re-election to his second three-year term on the board is current CPC Chairman Bill Bellavance of 323 Haverhill St. “Professionally, Bill (Bellavance) manages some properties in Burlington and I did a construction job on one of the buildings he manages,” Carroll said.
Last year, a colleague of Carroll’s at his firm was a representative for one of the development options in the Request for Proposal (RFP) bid process for the J.T. Berry property. The bid was ultimately was won by Pulte Homes of New England.
While Carroll was not directly involved in that RFP process, he said it did allow him to see the process evolve “from 30,000 feet” and had attended a CPC meeting to learn more about it at the time.
“There are important decisions that can be made (on the CPC) that really do impact quite a bit what goes on in the town,” Carroll believes. “I recently attended another meeting to get a closer look at what is going on to make sure it is something that I will enjoy being involved in and that I think I can contribute to. I think I could be a good fit.”
Those who wish to contact Carroll may do so via email at: RyanNRCPC@outlook.com.
Second write-in candidate
Carroll is the second write-in candidate to declare his intention to run for a seat in the May 8 Town Election. Previously, Dyana Boutwell of 13 Shasta Dr. declared her write-in campaign for one of two three-year seats on the School Committee after just one candidate officially made it on the ballot, Richard McGowan, 46 Chestnut St.
Both School Committee incumbents, Jerry Venezia and Julie Koepke, announced their intention not to seek re-election at the outset of this re-election campaign.
Ballot now official
According to Town Clerk Barbara Stats, the annual Town Election ballot is now official and posted on the town website.
In addition to McGowan for School Committee and Bellavance for CPC, the remaining official candidates on the ballot are incumbent Selectmen Kathryn M. Manupelli of 33 Valley Rd. and Stephen J. O’Leary of 15 Meade Rd.; incumbent Town Moderator John J. Murphy of 13 Duane Dr.; and new Housing Authority candidate Charles Carucci, 3 Chester St.
