Dudley takes steps to bar Islamic society from purchasing farmland for cemetery
The town of Dudley may get a chance to buy a 56-acre farm this fall, and in so doing derail plans to build a Muslim cemetery on the property, reports The Boston Globe.
The ballot question, which was reportedly passed “overwhelmingly” by Dudley Town Meeting members, asks residents to authorize the town to borrow money to purchase the land, which would prohibit the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester from closing a $285,000 deal with the property’s owners, the Globe reported.
While some residents have cited increased traffic and potential groundwater contamination as reasons to oppose the plan, the project’s supporters say the backlash stems from anti-Muslim sentiments.
Dudley must clear a few more hurdles before it can put the question before residents, however. The town’s vote was largely a symbolic gesture, as it has not yet determined how much it would need to borrow to secure the land — which it must do in order to legally place the measure on the ballot, according to the Globe. Town officials say the amount has yet to be disclosed, as they haven’t yet determined how the exact cost to the city.
Read the full Globe story here.
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