HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-11-03-WALKS-min
rd
Sidewalk Committee Meeting, November 3 2008, 11:00am
Present:
Members: Suzie Barry, Judy Crocker, Olga Guttag, Lucy Fletcher-Jones, Margaret Lotz,
Francine Stieglitz and Jerry Van Hook, Chairman
Liaisons: Jeanne Krieger (BOS), and Wayne Brooks (DPW)
Guests from the Wisteria Lane Neighborhood:
Benson Marsalles, 9 Saddle Club Rd Rebecca Weiler, 19 Reed St.
Stephanie Lawrence, 186 Grant St Jennifer McKinley, 4 Upland Rd
Bill Driscoll, 57 Colony Rd Laurel Driscoll, 57 Colony Rd
Charlene Fryou, 1 Sherman St. Christian Loup, 1
Sherman
Debbie Hogan, 63 Colony Rd. Gloria Amirault, 6 Bowser Rd
Brinda Gupta, 24 Saddle Club Rd Ann Kelly, 6 Brookwood Rd.
Guests from the Roosevelt Rd Neighborhood
Jane Kalinski, 73 School St.
Sharon Kendall, 9 Deering Ave.
Proposed Wisteria Lane Pathway to Fiske School
Debbie Hogan introduced a petition signed by citizens from the Colony Rd-side of the
Fiske school neighborhood. The petition asked for the town to pave and keep clear a
pathway from Wisteria Lane to Fisk School that follows an easement that was deeded to
the town by the builder and homeowner, Mr. Esserian. Debbie summarized that she hope
that the town would:
1) support the neighborhood’s request to the town to pave and keep clear the path
2) support the neighborhood’s request to get permission from the town to clear brush and
create a dirt path themselves along an agreed alignment, assuming it might eventually be
paved by the town.
Jerry said he had visited the site, noting the sidewalk along Colony Rd and the school
crosswalks. He felt that if the town becomes involved, it would be required to make the
pathway ADA compliant. This introduces two problems.
1) The present (illegal) path dips steeply about 4 feet to forest level at both ends. Any
other path nearby would have the same elevation changes. The ADA requirement of a
slope less than 1 in 12 would necessitate a wedge of soil build up 4x12=48 feet long
from each end before paving, requiring considerable infilling for a 5 foot wide snow
plow-able trail.
2) The existing granite curbing at the Fiske and the Wisteria ends of the path would
have to be modified by a 54 inch wide cut if the town sidewalk snow plow were
eventually to clear snow from the path. (If the town agrees to someday plow the Wisteria
Circle sidewalk with the easement path as a plowed extension thereof, then a curb cut at
the Wisteria end may not be needed).
Jeanne K. asked Debbie if she was talking about an ADA compliant path and Debbie said
yes, eventually, that was their wish.
The Colony Rd abutter with the present path crossing his land had not been in agreement
with an eventual ADA compliant pathway. He also asks for realignment of the existing
path further from his home, even if it remains as a dirt path.
Benson Marselles said he would like to see the easement rendered usable or functional.
Of course, fully handicap accessible would be great, but he would just like to see anyone
using it. At this point, the neighborhood group was asking for permission to activate it as
a natural walking path.
Olga Guttag said she has a slightly different interpretation of ADA compliant. She
understands the laws to mean that not every route to school needs to be ADA compliant,
as long as one exists nearby. She also noted that the current easement map supplied by
Debbie shows an overlap with the owner’s driveway and questioned whether a curb cut
would be needed. She mentioned that a special zoning permit was involved, and that the
easement was encoded in the property. She also visited the site and reports that kids are
using it as a pathway for extreme, off-road biking. Olga would like to see the SWC to
support making it walk-able, but it would be best if a legitimate plowed path.
Jerry quoted from the deed submitted which stated that the owner, Mr Esserian of
Holmes Construction does not want the responsibility of clearing, constructing and
maintaining the path, that he expects the town to do so. The easement does not extend
onto Fiske Common land. Another abutting homeowner to the easement (unidentified) is
willing to give up a back corner of her yard to allow better trail alignment.
Judy mentioned that car parking or construction activity that blocks the Colony Rd
sidewalks is illegal and should be brought to the attention of the police. Debbie replied
that LPD were at the school many days this September and had not succeeded in stopping
these actions.
Judy said she had met with Nancy Petterson about resuscitating the Fisk SR2S program.
SR2S would work with the police to stop the cars parking on sidewalks and help the
traffic move more smoothly around the school. She encouraged the Fisk parents to start a
SR2S program.
Debbie asked whether the SWC was willing to help the neighborhood get town support to
the clear the path. Jeanne K., as the Selectmen's liaison to the SWC, replied that the
Town counsel would examine the deed. She suggested that for advice/help on trail
clearing, the neighbors might ask for volunteer help from the Friends of Lexington
Bikeways. Debbie responded that permission to clear any part of the easement deeded to
the Town would still be needed. Jeanne said that a zoning officer from the Town would
need to examine the deed and property.
Jerry asked how much of a burden is it to walk on the sidewalk? Debbie replied that it
was enough of a burden to inhibit children from walking to school. Jerry then asked
whether anyone form Wisteria Lane minded children walking through the
subdivision? Debbie asked why they would mind and Jerry replied that in closed
developments like Wisteria Lane, a change in ownership in any home might lead to
changes in collective attitude about people walking through. Olga disagreed. She said
that subdivisions have public sidewalks and cannot exclude walkers. Also, we are talking
about children walking, kindergarteners, to which even 1/5 of a mile can be daunting.
Fiske School was designed to have 2 entrances, but 9/11 changed our ideas of security.
Nancy Petterson had to redesign the drop-off and pick-up patterns to agree with the new
security measures. Last year 75 kids walked on the pathway [that this year was
discovered not to follow the easement]. This year 25 kids are walking from the streets
that would be served by a path from Wisteria Lane. Those kids are now in the line of
waiting cars.
Ann Kelly has children at Fisk and Diamond. The Diamond kids don’t use the sidewalk.
They walk down the driveway with the cars. The path would serve them, too. Stephanie
Lawrence has 4 girls at Fisk. They have bemoaned the lack of a path. She stated that last
winter, when they had to walk on the sidewalk, they discovered that not all the
homeowners plowed their driveways. She is very concerned about a child being hit by a
car. She felt that it was very dangerous for children to walk on the sidewalk, especially
in the winter. Debbie added that Fiske School has been dumping water onto the sidewalk
and that she is concerned about the dangers of ice forming on the sidewalk in the winter.
Jeanne asked if "NoParking" signs along Colony Rd would help and Debbie replied it
would. She also had applied for Colony Road to be designated a school zone with the
attendant speed limits this year.
Wayne Brooks said if snow residue from driveway plowing was a sidewalk problem that
the Town could write letters to homeowners. Benson Marsalles said this was indeed a
problem and that kids end-up walking in the street, especially in the morning.
Jeanne restated she would find out what the easement really means, and will talk to the
Colony Road homeowner whose yard has a corner sticking into the proposed easement.
Marjan Tavangar of 190 Grant St said that the path made all the difference between
walking and driving her kindergartener. Another parent whose child has a disability
stated that the sidewalk is very difficult for her child to negotiate and that it was much
easier for her child to walk through the easement pathway.
Olga made a motion that the SWC declare its support for projects that increase pedestrian
access to playgrounds and schools. The motion was passed unanimously.
Judy and Olga advocated a Safe Routes to School Committee (SR2S) at Fiske. They felt
strongly that an SR2S program at Fiske School and representation on the SWC would
increase the odds of success for solving pedestrian issues. Debbie agreed to look into
this issue.
Jerry proposed an end to the Wisteria Lane discussion and thanked the neighbors for
coming.
October Minutes
Judy’s motion that the October Minutes by Lucy Fletcher Jones should be approved
passed unanimously.
Roosevelt Road Sidewalk Issue
Jerry discussed the neighborhood meeting at Hastings School that the SWC had
hosted. The first part of the meeting dealt with the question of whether there should be a
sidewalk on Roosevelt Rd, whether new developments in neighborhood opinion might
change the SWC decision in 2006 that this was a priority project. Jane Kalinski, the
Hastings SR2S chairperson, was asked to comment on a petition she and Sharon Kendall
had circulated, obtaining about 85 signatures. Jane stated she and Sharon took care to
include all of the residents who were routine users of Roosevelt Rd, both parents of
students and older homeowners and also either drivers or walkers.
Jerry added that Martha Batten, a TSAC rep and school principal, had noted there was
general agreement among the attendees on the need for a sidewalk. He asked for a vote
by the members on a motion to affirm that a sidewalk on Roosevelt was needed and
would be its recommendation to the Selection. The motion passed unanimously.
The next issue for discussion was about which side of Roosevelt Rd the new sidewalk
should occupy. Wayne reported that he has asked residents on the north side of
Roosevelt whether they objected to a sidewalk on their side of the street. The resident of
the house with the fence [Monica Grewal] does not mind a sidewalk on her side, as long
as the town moves her fence [off of town property.] Mrs. Ham does not object to a
sidewalk on her side of the street. Mrs. Adley has a giant tree on her front lawn that
would need to be moved off the town right of way. In investigating alternatives to
removing this tree for a north side sidewalk, Wayne found that there is a paper road that
leads from Roosevelt to Crosby Rd. The paper street ROW was never acted upon and is
now lawn and bushes between the Ham and Adley properties. The Town might put in a
school path along this unused ROW which would eliminate the need for a sidewalk along
Roosevelt west of the Ellison Rd paper street connection to Crosby Rd.
Jerry noted that the sidewalk on School St near the corner with Roosevelt narrows
significantly at the Grewel property because of a wooden retaining wall and a nearby
telephone pole. He asked if the constriction might be widened to allow better pedestrian
passage, particularly if the Town helps the Grewel family reposition their fence and
sprinkler system if a north-side Roosevelt sidewalk is chosen.
Jeanne stated that if we want to pursue the paper road sidewalk, Jane would have to
gather Pat Goddard, the Hastings Principal and TSAC. She also asked whether Roosevelt
St. and Hastings traffic problems are on the TSAC agenda? Jeanne noted that the
sidewalk placement decision would be delayed if the Adley tree removal was required
because there must be a hearing by the Tree Committee. Wayne stated that the telephone
pole and fire hydrant relocation might not be needed along Roosevelt's north side. Olga
suggested we should include a notice in the tax mailings reminding that residents should
not plant tress or erect fences in the right of way. She also questioned whether the fence
[Monica Grewal’s] could be moved far enough away from the sidewalk, assuming it gets
constructed, to allow the snow plough room to deposit snow off the street. Olga further
enquired if the Adley's tree was small enough to be relocated further into their yard using
a crane and Wayne said no, it's easier to move a house.
Jerry commented that since Dana Ham made the point that he felt poorly informed
about the sidewalk issue shouldn’t someone compose a letter to him keeping him
apprised of the decision-making process? Jeanne said we should hold off on notice until
we can be more definite about the things Wayne is looking into. Suzie said she left the
meeting feeling that more information was to be collected. Judy concurred, saying
Wayne won't have answers until the Dec 1 meeting so we should wait on the letters to
abutters. Wayne stated that the Adley tree was the only obstacle for a north side
sidewalk. Sharon commented that with a north side sidewalk, folks coming down Ellison
would have to cross Roosevelt to get on sidewalk.
Other Safety Issues on Roosevelt
The discussion was then directed to safety issues other than the sidewalk that should be
discussed. These issues would logically be up to the TSAC, the police, and the
engineering staff but the SWC with its contacts with SRTS/PTA and neighbor concerns
would be a participant.
Francine asked if all the present crosswalks were in final placement at the school and
was told no, changes were possible. Jeanne read the entire text of David Horton's letter
to the SWC. In it he suggests a global approach to solving the safety issues on Roosevelt
Rd. Jeanne feels that the difficulty with the global approach is that nothing happens.
Traffic mitigation is a tremendous problem all over town. It needs to be approached
incrementally in the following order: 1) address sidewalk issues, 2) install ‘No Parking’
signs and3) fix intersections.
Suzie quoted Sgt.Callahan and Martha Batten who say that a culture of entitlement
exists all over town by parents who expect their children home soon after the dismissal
bell rings, not recognizing the difficulties with traffic delays and getting angry if buses
are late. If Rt. 128 backs-up, then Lexington backs up with cut-thru traffic.
Olga stated that when parents get discourteous in auto pick-up situations, peer pressure
is better than police enforcement. She used to put flyers on the cars parked on the old
Fiske’s access road asking cars not to park there, and it worked, but the note did threaten
towing. After 2 weeks the driveway was clear.
Jeanne said we need a stuffer in the Town Meeting stating that residents need to keep
their sidewalks clear of snow and trash cans. Francine asked if the SWC members should
send comments to TSAC. Jeanne felt that recommendations to TSAC should come from
the neighborhood. When the Roosevelt sidewalk is finally in place, TSAC should have
the say on where crosswalks and signage should go, but with the input and approval from
the Hastings principal.
Jane K. suggested that we should formulate a flow-chart on how the process worked at
Roosevelt for subsequent new sidewalk projects. Jeanne said that one process will not fit
all. She informed us that this coming Board of Selectman’s meeting will address traffic
calming. The traffic mitigation group is in the planning department. The
Roosevelt/Hastings issue will go to TSAC tomorrow. TSAC is a committee of
professional-police, engineers. They would like to remain objective.
Jerry suggested we table the other items on the day's agenda. Suzie asked what happened
to the promised revisions to the sidewalk priorities lists? Wayne said he hopes to have a
master list of all sidewalk repairs and construction ever requested in Lexington. He hopes
to have the master list finished soon! He is in the process of in-puting every street
recommendation that we made on our lists. He estimates that if every concern was
addressed, the cost would be 2-3 million! Wayne will send the master list to SWC
members, along with dollar cost estimates. The committee's job then becomes to
prioritize from this list. Meg offered heartfelt thanks to Wayne for his efforts.
Jerry asked for a motion to adjourn at 1:15 PM. The next meeting will be Dec 1 at 11
AM.
Respectfully submitted by Margaret Lotz, temporary recording secretary