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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-03-18-GCC-minApproved Meeting Minutes — March 18, 2011 Committee Name: Lexington Greenways Corridor Committee (GCC) Date, Time and Location of Meeting: March 18, 2011, 8 am, Ellen Stone Room, Cary Hall Members present: Rick Abrams, Michelle Ciccolo (Planning Board Liaison), Alex Dohan, Peggy Enders, Bob Hausslein, Stew Kennedy, Paul Knight, Deb Mauger (Selectmen's Liaison), Keith Ohmart Members Absent: Duke Bitsko (Conservation Commission Liaison), Mike Tabaczynski Others present: Richard Canale Previous Minutes: Approved 1. Votes: Approval of February 18 meeting minutes — approved unanimously Ratification of e -mail vote re letter in support of continued Recreational Trails Program funding — motion — Stew, second - Bob, unanimously approved Appointment of Rick Abrams as committee member — motion - Stew, second - Alex, unanimously approved 2. Updates: — Keith urged members to complete Conflict of Interest paperwork. Some members did not find the state questionnaire available online. it. Keith reviewed aspects of the policies. — Stew reminded members to copy the GCC email list when email is sent to GCC members. — Keith asked GCC members to provide information on their affiliations with organizations which may be of interest to GCC - related activities. Members provided the information included as Appendix A. — Keith proposed that a list of committee members should be available on the GCC web site — (ACTION): Paul to do this. — Representation from Recreation Committee — Stew reported Dick Thuma will be stepping off the RC later this year. Deb Mauger will check with Karen Simmons to get input on representation from Recreation Department. — Peggy will follow up with the Safe Routes to School/Sidewalk contacts. — Report from West Lexington Greenway (WLG) meeting with town staff — Richard Canale: there is a verified TIP number for the WLG project. All of the information needs to be supplied. More detail is needed before process can advance. Dick suggested one approach is to submit request for CPC funding for further engineering work, particularly the 100% design funding, and possibly construction funding. Forms for TIP are online. A manual or online info is available. — Bob Hausslein and Keith will work with John Livsey to update the online TIP information for this project. (ACTION) — Michelle — Long Range Plan — five year update cycle — now we have a form submitted to get in a queue. Getting to 100% design will help. Were PIF or PNF submitted by VHB? It is probably the most important item, in order to be considered for funding. Mass DOT 100% design review process is critical. District 4 highway office is in Lexington. Clean air mobility funding might be a good alternative. Boston MPO is another possibility. — Michelle: (ACTION) — develop glossary of acronyms and positioning of key organizations and processes involved in developing major projects like WLG. — Other points mentioned: Writing letters to express importance will help. Email lists- Mass Bike, trail, bikes belong, federal transportation — earmarks, RTP. Richard Friese — lobbyist for Bikes Belong, lives in Lexington. — Michelle: It may advance faster if we do not rely on Federal or state funding. 3. New Business: — Warrant Article 42 — Proposes acceptance of existing footpath easement crossing Fiske Commons property by the Town. Keith explained the issue. Michelle discussed easement history and concerns expressed by residents — Motion: Stew: To approve a public statement that GCC supports the easement, including both foot and bicycle access. Second — Peggy. Unanimously approved. Keith (ACTION): draft and send note to Hank Manz, BOS Chair that we have passed a motion to support Warrant Article 42, and to inquire how can we be helpful. — Identify specific projects for GCC to pursue: — West Lexington Greenway: Keith reviewed the current proposal and status. Stew described how the universal accessibility resulted in several challenges due to width, wetlands, and need for power company access. Discussion of process for completion of draft TIP form responses. Steps include: — Preparation for submission to CPC for remaining design costs (75 %) — Prepare status report for CPC and Board of Selectmen — Map existing and potential trail connections throughout the town — Keith explained how this contributes to GCC goals — Easement Policy Review — Stew suggested that we need to work with Planning and others to clarify various access issues — Creation of trail blaze logo for marking trails (especially those not on town property, i.e., passing over easements on private property) — Draft list of committee goals and objectives — Keith — Rick — maps may be low- hanging fruit, in addition to WLG — Deb suggested that we poll ourselves online prior to our next meeting to provide a framework for prioritizing said projects. Keith will organize and communicate to committee members. (ACTION) Any other business: — Keith found that the name "Minuteman Connector"is used by a project near Somerville. Stew — motion to adopt the name "Minuteman- Battle Road Connector" to refer to this part of the WLG. Unanimously approved. — Members interested in mapping should communicate with Judy Seppala in Town office to discuss town GIS maps. Keith suggested that Paul and Peggy contact Judy in response to the current request from MAPC for Town bike route data. Handouts: — GCC Agenda (Keith Ohmart) — Flyer for Battle Road Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan, March 31. (Richard Canale) adjourned 9:37 ACTIONS • Keith (ACTION): draft and send note to Hank Manz that we have passed a motion to support Warrant Article 42, and to inquire how can we be helpful. • Michelle: (ACTION) — develop glossary of acronyms and positioning of key organizations and processes involved in developing major projects like WLG. • (ACTION): Paul to include list of GCC members on GCC web site. • Bob Hausslein and Keith will work with John Livsey to provide online TIP form data for the WLG project. (ACTION) • Keith to poll committee members on project prioritization (ACTION) Appendix A to Greenways Corridor Committee Minutes — 2011 -03 -18 Relevant Affiliations of Committee Members Name Affiliations (as provided by Member) Rick Abrams Sustainability Committee Duke Bitsko Michelle Ciccolo MAPC Vice President, MAGIC Chair, Assabet River Rail Trail Muni Representative, Lexington Planning Board, Hudson Community Development Director, MassDOT Advisory Committee Alex Dohan Citizens for Lexington Conservation (CLC) Watershed Stewards Peggy Enders Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee, Friends of Lexington Bikeways, Conservation Stewards Director, Appalachian Mountain Club, MassBike, Lexington Town Meeting, LexMedia Bob Hausslein Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee, Friends of Lexington Bikeways, Conservation Stewards Director Stew Kennedy Lexington Conservation Commission, Lexington Town Meeting Member, CLC, Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee, Conservation Stewards Director, Friends of Lexington Bikeways, Paul Knight Conservation Stewards Director Deb Mauger Lexington Board of Selectmen Keith Ohmart CLC, Friends of Beaver Brook Reservation, Friends of Western Greenway Mike Tabaczynski