HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-09-25-GCC-min Greenways Corridor Committee
September 25, 2017
Ellen Stone Room, Cary Hall
Lexington, Massachusetts
Members Present: Alex Dohan, Peggy Enders, Eileen Entin, Don Grant, Susan Kenyon, Keith
Ohmart, Mike Tabaczinski
Other Attendees: Stephen Perkins (interested in Route J), Peter Kelley (Selectman)
Votes: Minutes of July 10, 2017 meeting: Approved
Discussion of opportunity for Town to purchase 44 Adams St. Keith will draft letter of
support to be sent to Select Board.
Reports/Updates:
• Mass Trails Conference is November 4. Keith and Susan are going, and happy to carpool if
others wish to join.
• Bob and Mal re-routed Route A so it now goes through Victory Garden Way.
• Keith responded to an "unhappy customer" who was disgruntled by the route closures on
Routes A & B (due to construction on the schools). Is there a better way for us to get such
information out to the public? Twitter was suggested.
• David Neal will be working on an update for the app that will include Route H. He contacted
Susan about working on that project.
• Brochure printing - Carol Kowalski has found some money, but printing arrangements have
not yet been made as there is some question over where to have them printed. Perhaps it
makes sense to wait until spring, and the completion of Route J, before printing new bro-
chures. It has also been suggested that GCC put in a Program Improvement Request for the
$3000 needed to rework and print the brochures.
• The walks in conjunction with the Recreation Department have started. Susan had 18 people
two weeks ago on Route E. A recent walk was cancelled due to inclement weather. Another
walk, on Route G, is upcoming. The registration fee goes through the Rec Dept, but will go to
the Rick Abrams Trust forACROSS Lexington. The cooperation with Rec Dept and Melissa
Batite is gratifying.
• Peggy and Mike scouted a route for a link between Pelham Rd and Upper Vine Brook. There
is a lot of wetland between the two, but a trail could be built, with some work. A connection
through Bennington Road would be useful.
• RTP grant for Hayden Woods boardwalks has been approved by DCR. Mike and Keith will
work out initial planning details with Jordan over the coming weeks.
Ongoing Business:
• At the moment GCC has no Town budget, and staff time is at a premium. Carol Kowalski and
Karen Mullins would like to have a meeting, including Jordan McCarron and Keith, to discuss
how to proceed in the future so that ACROSS Lexington can continue to grow. Town staff
time needs to be part of that budget. Keith has not heard back yet about a meeting date. Un-
til this meeting is held, we need to slow down on development. This includes holding off on
the Route H boardwalk work and the brochure printing PIR funding request. (There was
some discussion about if the funding request was for this current printing, or for the next
one.) It was agreed that it is better for ACROSS to be funded as it is built, in small chunks,
rather than one big lump sum, since we don't really know what the future will bring.
• Route J - Word from a Peacock Farm neighbor is that some residents might be resistant to
allowing access through an off-road segment in the neighborhood. We need to research who
owns the parcel and what the easement is. The Milliken Way - Pleasant St - Moon Hill Rd
segment needs further research to determine the extent of the easement. Bowman Park is
Town Land, but not Conservation. Laurel Carpenter would like a trail there, and one could
probably be build around the wetland. If other routes are not accessible, we could create a
"lollipop" route that includes West Farm, Sutherland Woods, and Liberty Heights.
• Another presentation to the Select Board should be made to update them on the progress of
ACROSS Lexington.
New Business:
• We discussed the potential trail event that Michelson's Shoe Store has tentatively proposed.
The specifics are unknown at this time, but Michelson's would like to support ACROSS. An-
other thought is for Gil Benghiat, who once proposed a badge-earning project for walking the
ACROSS routes, to become involved in this. Would it be in conjunction with Discovery Day?
Keith, Peggy, and Susan will schedule a meeting with the Michelsons to explore this further.
Pending Items:
• Consider shorter trail segments -where/how
• Seasonal trail maintenance on non-Conservation properties
Next Meeting: October 23, 2017, 4:30-6:OOpm, Ellen Stone Room
Future meeting dates: Nov 27, Dec 18* (Generally 4th Monday, *3rd Monday)
Respectfully Submitted by
Alexandra Dohan, Secretary