HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-01-05-GCC-min
Greenways Corridor Committee
January 5, 2023
Parker Room - Town Office Building, and zoom
Lexington, Massachusetts
Members Present: Mal Crawford*, Alex Dohan, Peggy Enders, Bob Hausslein, Bobak Moshiri, Keith Ohmart,
Stephen Perkins, Yifang Gong
Other Attendees: ; Mike Tabaczynski; Susan Kenyon*
*via zoom
Votes:
● Meeting minutes of December 8, 2022: Approved - Crawford, Yes; Dohan, Yes; Enders, Yes; Hausslein,
Yes; Moshiri, Yes; Ohmart, Yes; Perkins, Yes; Gong, Yes
● Statement of Concern for Lexington Trees (https://www.lexingtontreestatement.org) - GCC will sign on to
this statement as a supporting organization: Approved - Crawford, No; Dohan, Yes; Enders, Yes; Hausslein,
Yes; Moshiri, Yes; Ohmart, Yes; Perkins, Yes; Gong, Yes
Reports/Updates:
● Yifang Gong is officially a member of the GCC now, having been appointed by the Select Board..
● Open Space and Recreation Plan - discussion of GCC role. Few specifics are given, but past work is
applauded and future work expected. Public Meeting Jan 10, 6:30pm. Final comments due Jan 30.
● Peggy reports that the Bike-Ped Plan project now has a consultant, VHB, to write the Plan.
● Keith and Mike are working on meeting with Karen Mullins to discuss Route 19, connecting Arlington Great
Meadow and Lower Vine Brook.
● GIS mapping for ACROSS Lexington on the Town website is ongoing. Mike is working with Judy Baldasaro
and other Town staff. Tasks to accomplish: add missing ACROSS routes, reduce the number of trail marker
icons on the digital map, fix broken links.
Current/Ongoing Business:
● Keith briefly reviewed potential routes for 2023. These include:
○ Route 19, previously noted
○ Route 15, which includes Paint Mine, Simonds Brook, and has potential water issues at the end of
Rangeway Rd. We will review this area in the Spring, with high water.
○ Route 21, which includes Brookhaven, Concord Ave, and connects to the Western Greenway. This
project is waiting on Conservation Division capacity to allow creation of a Land Management Plan
for the “Concord Ave Parcel”.
● Marketing discussion - Bobak re-shared his “Food for Thought” outline (see HERE), which we saw in
December. What are our goals? Primarily, getting more users onto ACROSS routes, and making the routes
fun and accessible for all ages.
○ One project that might help achieve several of these points is an option for people to install
benches along the routes. These could be memorial benches, and would be good resting places,
but also good “targets” for users to seek out.
○ Another project could be a photo contest, to garner more pictures of the ACROSS routes and also
people using them, as well as sights along the ways.Photos could make the map brochure more
intriguing, and the Points of Interest info could go on the website, already accessible with QR
codes.
○ Perhaps high school students could help with the Points of Interest by working on them as a History
project.
○ It was also suggested to reach out to Cristina Burwell at the Munroe Arts Center regarding art
projects/installations along the routes.
○ Could we put more, or bigger, signs in the Center and along the street entrances to the Routes?
This would make them more visible to passersby who are not necessarily looking for the Route
signs, but could be enticed to check out ACROSS Lexington.
New Business:
● (none at this time)
Pending Items:
● (none at present)
Next Meeting: February 2, 2023, 4:30-6:00pm, Parker Room, Town Office Bldg & zoom
Future meeting dates: March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1
Respectfully Submitted by
Alexandra Dohan, Secretary pro tem