HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-06-05-GCC-minMinutes of the Greenways Corridor Committee Meeting
5 June 2023
Members Present: Mal Crawford (virtual), Alex Dohan, Peggy Enders (virtual), Eileen Entin, Yifang Gong
(virtual), Bob
Hausslein, Bobak Moshiri (virtual), Keith Ohmart (chair), Stephen Perkins
Non-voting Members Present: Susan Kenyon (Virtual), Mike Tabaczynski
Meeting minutes of 8 May were approved unanimously.
Reports, Updates:
Discovery Day Recap: Although conversation was difficult because of the band across the street, it was a
desirable location in that it was next to the bike group, which had lots of visitors. In conversation with people
who stopped by, many people noted that ACROSS was a life saver during the pandemic. The general feeling
is that assuming we are at a table with the bike people, we really only need one person for ACROSS, except
for setup and breakdown. Not many ACROSS t-shirts were sold. One possibility is to sell them at the farmers’
market bike corral. Peggy will check with farmers’ market office to see if this would be ok. To increase usage
and awareness of the shirts, Bobek suggested that to help publicize ACROSS, people take pictures wearing of
a t-short on ACROSS paths with the incentive these might be posted on the next version of the map.
Brochure Reprinting: The expectation is that new routes won’t be completed until this time next year, so we
should reprint the current version to keep the brochures available. Mike noted that if we don’t explain the POIs,
we would leave room for photos and other promo stuff. The explanation of the POIs would be on the website.
Bike/ped plan update: Prior to the meeting Keith circulated notes from the previous meeting that he and Peggy
attended. There are draft maps of trails and bike paths, but they can’t be circulated yet. Peggy says the maps
need to be vetted more. Thursday evening there will be an open meeting at Cary Hall where participants will be
assigned to tables by the area of town in which they live. The focus will be on infrastructure, and als o
connectivity between various trails. It is an opportunity for GCC members to participate and orient themselves
to the level of detail being discussed. Keith encouraged anyone who is free to attend.
Trail sign audit/summer brochures: Trail audits are proceeding well and coverage on stocking map holders is
good. Mal has plans for work on route H. Most of the work will be on Lincoln St, which now has sidewalks.
Ongoing Business
Review 2023 route development projects:
Proposed Routes 8/9 and Concord Ave conservation land management plan: Regarding the land
management plan, we need the conservation dept to draft the RFP and evaluate incoming bids. Mike and
Keith met with the Brookhaven people and found they are less excited than previously about people coming
through their property. Their major concern is people on bikes. As an alternative we could connect through
Beaver Brook North to the Avalon housing complex via the Western Greenway and then down the Metropolitan
Parkway to Concord Avenue via a proposed route 8.
Mike displayed maps of proposed routes 8 and 9 and the committee members discussed the two routes.
Route 8 overlaps with 9. Route 9 which, would replace the connection through Brookhaven, connects to
Waltham Street along Concord Avenue on sidewalks, but more use of sidewalks than in previous routes is
necessary in order to meet the GCC goal of having an ACROSS route within a half mile of every house in town.
As currently proposed, Route 8 is 2.9 miles and Route 9 is 3.1 miles. Route 9 can be done without
permissions. Keith proposed that a task group could walk Rte 9 and figure out where posts and signs need to
go. Bob volunteered to get a group together to spec out Rte 9, which would be Route Q when it is made public.
Proposed route 9 would be Rte Q.
.
Rangeway options: Karen ascertained that there is an easement on Gould Road that provides a right of
way for the proposed route out to Grove Street. There is a preference to avoid having the route go through
Drummer Boy property and instead create a new segment over town property. There are about 60-70 feet of
wetlands on Rangeway. Keith and Mike walked this area with Phi Hamilton. Keith has requested a site walk
with Karen and Amber, hopefully this week or early next. There was a question about who would build the trail.
It would most likely be done by the stewards. The needed construction is too involved for a scout project. In
terms of cost of materials, a request for funds could be made to the Recreation Trails Program or to the Judy
Record Fund. The estimated cost is between 3 and 5 thousand dollars.
AGM/LVB Connector: Keith and Mike met with Facilities Manager, Mike Cronin, Karen, and Amber.
The old Harrington school will be demolished and become playing fields. There is also the MWRA stormwater
project in this area. It would be possible to build a new trail through the woods behind the playing fields. We
would need to get on Conservation’s planning schedule for this. Another possibility is to use streets for a part
of the propose route because we can’t do the whole thing off streets at this point. It could be viewed as a
“service trail” for the town, and it could also be part of “Safe Routes to Schools.” Using sidewalks, we could roll
out route 22 and part of 19.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:07 pm.
The next meeting will be held on 18 September.
Respectfully submitted,
Eileen Entin, Acting Secretary