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Home My WebLink About1997-09-23-MBS-min.pdf -D J Greenway Project Steering Committee Meeting Tuesday, September 23, 1997 Attendees: JA.John Avvazian, Steward,Parker Meadow, II Dexter Rd,862-5279 HB:Harvey Bingham, BAC, FMMBW Zero Essex St, 862-6908,hbingham@acm.org PD:Pat Doherty,Citizens for Lexington Conservation(CLC), 102 North Hancock St,862-7256 BE: Betty Eddison,Board of Selectmen,CLC, FMMBW,BAC,HATS,20 Nickerson,862-1869 JF•John Frey, BAC,FMMBW Tree committee,Chair Design Advisory Committee, 1133 Mass Ave, 862-2104 1G: lone Gering,Field and Garden Club,CLC, 157 Cedar St,862-7592 BG: Brian Gilbert, Supt. of Public Grounds,201 Bedford St,861-2757 bgilbert@patriot.ci.lexington.ma.us FL. Fran Ludwig, Science coordinator for Lexington schools K 5,29 Wyman,861-7231 KO:Keith Ohmart, Steward of the Great Meadows,CLC board, 114 East St,862-6216 JVH:Jerry Van Hook, BAC,FMMBW Chair,89 Meriam St, 862-7043 NW-Nell Walker,Tree committee,fitness path,22 Baskin, 862-6943 GW-Gerry Whiting,urban planting,Pres,Garden Club,Friends of Emery Park,55 Bloomfield,862-6976 Withdrawn:David Williams Background: PD:Citizens for Lexington Conservation(Eileen Entin is now president, KO is on board)is a citizens'group of about 200 families that has been around for 25 years.Membership:$7 to join. It organizes and leads walks through conservation lands.Once it did recycling, and brook cleaning, Most conservation lands have stewards from CLC.(Al Levine is steward for Meagerville). One ongoing program is to ask candidates for town office two or three environmental or conservation questions.These get into the newsletter.This hasn't been in the newsletter.Charles Hoenig or Harvey Bingham can get this on the web,given it in electronic form, JVH: The Friends of the Minuteman Bikeway has stewards for each stretch of the MMBW Currently the Friends are doing a survey of the 200 abutters of the MMBW 60 replies have been received so far,2/3 positive. Many submitted significant comments. JVH: Some comments concern the decrease in perceived property values. Survey didn't indicate addresses, so we cannot do detailed follow-up. BE. We should check the relative assessment changes for abutters vs.nearby properties.That would be a good surrogate for the value of living along it. Agenda: Minutes correction: • John Andrews should be source for ornithology,not Dr Harrington • Tom Sileo,(mis-spelled)is a great resource for history We have many sources for flora and fauna.Get history of Bikeway from him for Bicycling in Lexington • Marilyn Nordby,Conservation Administrator for Lexington,has the list of stewards. MSP Minutes as corrected. Scope of Lexington's Greenway Project: BG: Submitted draft of the Scope of Lexington's Greenway Project.This was reviewed with John Frey and Nel Walker. We have commitments to State to deliver this planning document. BG: John Andrews went through a similar form for Conservation Stewards. He and Brian will develop this form during the next month. HB: Bikeway stewards should make major input to the form. I of 4 Greenway Project Steering Committee Meeting Tuesday, September 23, 1997 BG: Signage:what exists,what should be there,what is missing,mileage signposts[explanation what they mean,pseudo- roman numeral forms on the Granite sides.] HB: We should identify points of interest,include railroad artifacts. BG:Access points to the MMBW formal and informal,need to be identified. BG: Construct maps with various site parameters,and develop a system of locus identification. FIB:The locus should be sufficiently accurate that interesting ecological specimens,or areas,can be located well enough that they can be protected from random uninformed mowing or shredding. Discussion: JVH:A parallel walking path would be desirable. NW The current safety rails are now obstacles to widening the path. JVH: Police records show most accident reports at intersections. JA. Great Meadows,a while ago a trail network was laid out and used for walking.Now with more use,some of the mountain bikes cause some erosion. \ FIB: At a recent Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting Geri Frick indicated that Conservation Commission has forbidden mountain bikes on conservation land.Currently the signs posted on entrances to such land only mention motorized vehicles,not bicycles. JVH:If significant erosion is occurring,we should control it.Cut it back,disperse it. JF. There are degrees of mountain bike activity. We might consider some differentiation in use of trails,by skill level. HB:Few of our potential mountain bike trails are extensive enough or interesting enough to attract serious activity Gurifeg IG: Olga Giateic tag(bicycle safety educator in Lexington)has written a letter in support of the Greenway. Q.ricw NW Winer pond should be off-limits to bikes. We may need signs there,saying park your bike here on the MMBW and walk into the paths around the pond. FIB: There are a few bicycle lock points on the rocks at the Lester Memorial bench. Rarely are they used. With such encouragement to foot use,would we need a bike there?At least three other informal access paths enter that conservation area. KO: Education on erosion is appropriate. BG: We should identify areas needing signs JF' Sign pollution is a risk[there were excess"private property"signs on the yard next to Buckman Tavern.] NW. The signs on the fitness path had early vandalism.They haven't used many of the second set of signs. HB: Other kinds of signs are appropriate for ecological areas and specimens. BG: Who are proper people to identify interesting landforms,geology ecology? NW Also,topography and hydrology information may be useful. 2 of 4 Greenway Project Steering Committee Meeting Tuesday, September 23, 1997 BE. Steve Levy's 4th grade class has done nice work.Should that be displayed on the bikeway? ehw JP Chris Floyd and Katy Wells, of the East Lexington Association,and its members could contribute.Attifaiiiim is president of East Lexington Association.JA is Vice Pres. Others in the organization are interested.They wanted to co- sponsor the walks with the CLC in their area. $W There was a study of ecology of the Great Meadows. It may need an update. BE. Better to go to the neighborhood organizations to request help and interest in doing the mapping.It is much better to have local support and interest,than give the impression of imposing it from outside. BG:Our product is to provide to the State a survey of what we have,and potentially a plan for an arboretum along the bikeway.This linear park,emerald necklace,has a lot of potential. We need to identify and maintain what we have,and control some invasive species. BG:Other opportunities include an expanded trail system, and education about what we have. — 41.Y. We should consider all open space that abuts the path. KO:A major naturalist survey was done. NW A study was done 25 years ago by a consultant of Great Meadows. HB:Tom Sileo's work is important.We should build on it. JVH: We have plenty to do along the path itself. BG:The state group wants a management plan to protect adjacent areas,and identify what we should do to promote community involvement. NW We need a management plan,mowing plan,and control of invasive species. BE. We should ask support from Arlington BAC on Great Meadows. KO: We should focus on what we can see from the path. BR: Commuters,walkers,joggers, bikers,skiers,inline-skaters are different parts of the user community KO: We need to review a draft of the survey form at our next meeting. ?t 4 rneo , wLAI JVH:Do in sequence:the tviewsheId' along the bikeway(which has never had a strong survey),then include other nearby areas and integrate them. KO:Do some areas by reference:to Great Meadows,to Tom Sileo's work. FIB: About five significant ecological spots exist west of here:ferns,beaver-dam with loosestrife encroaching,cattails, and pampas grass,lady slippers,spring wildflower clusters. Some of these,such as lady slippers,may not want to be publicized.Alternatively,they may want to be highlighted when in bloom. IG: Suggest Harvey Bingham lead a walk along bikeway west of Bedford Street for Garden Club,to see what we might do there,and what they might identify of interest. JVH: The abutters could contribute to enhancement of the bikeway. JP In the center,there is more intense use and it is now the shabbiest. We should give it special attention. 3 of 4 .^...«..•.+..y _•wuuu�n�••.U.• •.uwyt ue •w was iwv.mwff IF. •,y,>�tiSv':1N5:lllMlJi+'1 Greenway Project Steering Committee Meeting Tuesday, September 23, 1997 GB:Maps will help for collection of data. HE: We need mile markers.Possibly some more explicit locators may be useful,say unobtrusive 0.1 or 0.01 mile marks. JVH: Some bikeway stewards are interested in more than policing it.Others find that to be plenty. HB: Stewards keep clear to the fences. BG:Need to push it back a yard or so beyond the fences,so that growth won't encroach. etJ : Would like to have view of Great Meadows. Get rid of the aggressive alien species,including Japanese knotweed (polyganum),Norway maple,pokeweed,bittersweet,and loosestrife(which may be susceptible to a control by some beetle). BE. Who will do the collection and analysis? BG: John,Nell,and Brian will work out details,and bring a plan to address this,with a survey form,and maps to the next taskforce meeting. JA.Frank Meehan,Clark School,is a good resource. BG:Next meeting Tuesday Oct 28,7:30,DPW building.We expect to have maps and forms available then. Following meeting is Tuesday Nov 18. Respectfully submitted, Harvey Bingham 4 of 4