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Home My WebLink About2010-03-01-WALKS-min Lexington Sidewalk Committee Minutes March 1 2010 11:00 a.m. Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Hall Present : Jerry Van Hook, Judy Crocker, Suzie Barry, Meg Lotz, Lucy Fletcher-Jones, John Davies. Liaisons: Elaine Celi, School Transportation; Richard Canale, Planning Board, Wayne Brooks, DPW, Guests : Patrick Goddard, Director of Public Facilities, David Callaghan, Asst. Principal Diamond, Karen Mullins, Conservation Dept., Maryann McCall-Taylor, Planning Dept., Craig Weeks, Clarke School SRTS, Unable to attend: Jonathon Wettstone, Asst. Principal Clarke, Jeanne Krieger. Liaison to Selectmen, Francine Stieglitz, SWC member `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` February 2010 Minutes: Changes were suggested by Rich Canale. Suzie will send out the corrected version. The Committee will vote on the February and March minutes at the April 5 regular meeting. Introductions: The meeting was opened by Judy who welcomed all guests. Of those not present, Mr Wettstone had a death in the family and could not attend and Jeanne Krieger and Francine Stieglitz had election day tasks that precluded attendance Judy said that the meeting would be devoted to a discussion of new initiatives at the two Lexington middle schools in Lexington. At Clarke school, she outlined the general transportation problems and then briefly described the conclusions reached at the previous SWC meeting concerning a walking path for students connecting the school grounds with Marrett Rd. The lower section of this path would be paved to allow vehicle access for a new home. The continuing gravel path heading towards Marrett Rd would have drainage and other improvements. At the prior meeting, SWC members had voted their recommendation to PB that the lower paved section would not need the addition of a sidewalk and that there should be signs indicating no parking on either side of this newly paved section of Stedman road. Judy then introduced Craig Weeks who would lead the discussion on other unresolved issues about sidewalks, footpaths and school busing at Clarke. Clarke School Issues: Craig began by describing the present school bus, private vehicular and pedestrian access, emphasizing the problem areas. He discussed opening the gate on Stedman, now closed, to allow school buses and emergency vehicles only (not private cars) to exit the school grounds. This exit onto Allen St exit would eliminate the present condition of buses circling through the lower parking lot to exit via Brookside Ave. Pat Goddard agreed that this would help but cautioned that public meetings probably would be needed to meet any concerns of Stedman St residents. Pat said that he and Karen Mullins (Conservation) would work together on wetlands issues relevant to a proposed sidewalk on west side of Stedman from Brookside to the main school entry. including increasing the turns radius at the corner of Brookside/ Stedman roadway, a current pinch point for bus turns. They would also consult on a possible widening of Stedman near the school entry for bus drop off/pick up. Karen said that all these changes would probably require Conservation Com. permits. Craig then led a discussion on creating a pedestrian path from the footbridge north of the brook westward to Stedman. This path would parallel the brook and, according to Wayne B could be a water-permeable asphalt to allow playfield runoff to the brook in this typically wet area of the grounds. Karen said she would also investigate feasibility of this footpath from the conservation viewpoint. Maryann McCall-Taylor said that there may be wider issues about opening the gate on south Stedman and that the town counsel and Town Mgr. should be consulted. Elaine Celi said that the bus company representative, Mr John Henry should also be consulted before any further actions are planned. David Callaghan said that the Clarke school administration strongly favored these proposed changes to easing school access. Feedback between Pat, Karen and other Town offices will be needed before this work can proceed. Pat said he would coordinate this effort and report progress to the SWC when appropriate. Judy said that all the Clarke problems had been covered and the next steps assigned, so that we should move on to Diamond school issues. Diamond School Issues: Judy described SWC/ Diamond PTA efforts to engage, so far unsuccessfully, the Homes Development Co., which will build new homes at the previous Lexington Gardens site. They had offered several ideas on how to maintain pedestrian safety where the project directly abuts a traffic circle and the entrance to Diamond School. These suggestions had included calling for a traffic study of Hancock St in that vicinity. Judy said that Homes Development had evidently ordered such a study and that a document was delivered to the PB at the end of December 2009. but she had not seen it until today. The SWC obviously has not had the time to review the traffic study but will do so before the continued PB hearing with Homes which is set for March 17. Concerning line of sight issues due to shrubbery near the rotary/school entry road, it was agreed that the contractor be asked to clear away these visual impairments and not erect fencing that would have any similar effect. Richard said the PB would probably agree that the shrubs be moved or removed. On the proposed school access footpath through the development to Diamond school, Judy said there was a problem with chronic standing water at the school end where the proposed path exits the development. Karen said she would investigate this: she did not think it was within a wetlands zone but would check. Pat stated that any new sidewalk needed to connect the proposed path with existing sidewalk closer to the school might be constructed using the water-permeable asphalt that Wayne mentioned earlier. This would expedite the drainage of any seasonal standing water, The contractor had stated that this Victory Garden path would be opened only after the home construction is complete, possibly 3-5 yrs hence.. Richard said the PB was opposed to such a delay. The SWC strongly concurred that this path should be opened before home construction ends precisely because such a path would enable student walkers to avoid both rotary traffic and site construction activity in that area, both of which making things more unsafe for pedestrians. Concerning requests by the Diamond PTA/SRTS groups to straighten the school access road, thereby improving visibility for a path from Burlington St, Pat asked that this proposal be deferred until he has had a chance to investigate alternatives. A widening of this road was urged by Suzie Barry to allow easier passage of buses and cars. Suzie and Judy also urged rounding of parking lot entry to allow easier bus turns. Pat said he will explore both of these roadway changes after consulting with bus company director John Henry. Asst Principal Callaghan emphasized that these changes would help substantially with traffic flow. The possibility of adjusting school bus access more effectively between east and west Diamond entrances was favored by Elaine Celi, the Diamond PTA and by Principal Callaghan. Such action would relieve west side congestion since all nine school buses currently use that entry. It was proposed that 2 of these 9 buses use the Sedge Rd (east side) entry in future. Elaine will discuss this possibility further with John Henry and with the school administration.. Pat mentioned that school access improvements were being explored at other Lexington schools, including a possible bicycle ramp connecting the Merriam Hill neighborhood with Fiske ES as well as Diamond School. Bicyclists bound for Diamond would cross Fiske playgrounds on existing paths and then cross Adams St at the crossing guard station. This would eliminate the need for children to bicycle along Adams, a busy road at school arrival time. The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 pm. The next regular SWC meeting is on April 5, 2010 Recording secretary, Jerry Van hook