Hardwick Calls January 7 Special Election on Great Meadowbrook Farm Racetrack

HARDWICK — November 21, 2022 — Hardwick Select Board sets January 7 special election on horse racetrack proposal after reconsideration fails. The board, chaired by Jeffrey S. Schaaf and joined by Vice Chair William F. Tinker and Clerk Zachary E. Spencer, first voted 2-1 against reconsidering its November 9 approval of a racetrack location at Great Meadowbrook Farm, 228 Berry Road — with Schaaf casting the lone no vote — then unanimously called the special election under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 128A, Section 13A. The election was triggered by a second citizen petition bearing 335 certified signatures submitted in opposition to the project. Kara, a spokesperson for Hardwick Villages for Responsible Growth, told the board that canvassers encountered "widespread lack of clear information and a surplus of misinformation" when gathering signatures, and called on the board to "prioritize honest and comprehensive information" before any town vote. The board voted to hold polls from noon to 7 p.m. on the Saturday election date and agreed to meet November 29 to appoint a seven-to-nine-member public information committee and sign the official ballot question.