By Meredith McCulloch
At the Selectmen’s meeting on April 22, 2019, Director of Public Works David Manugian presented a comprehensive plan for dealing with the large number of projects the department will be addressing this spring and through FY2020. He explained that projects are distributed in three categories: health and safety, maintenance of town assets, and capital improvements. Currently, due to the number of projects, there is a backlog, but the implementation of Manugian’s plan would eliminate the backlog by the end of 2020. Both reorganization of the department and the addition of new personnel will help with meeting that goal.
Click this link to view the DPW’s Comprehensive Plan presentation to the Selectmen.
Projects on the list are already funded through various sources. He presented a chart showing the funding for each Chapter 90 funds, bonding for specific projects, the tax levy, and Community Presentation Commission monies.
Selectman Margot Fleischman praised the plan, saying, “Having eyes on where we are and whether we are meeting our benchmarks will be very helpful as the Selectmen make decisions.”
A sidewalk analysis is planned that will evaluate the condition of all the sidewalks in town and the goal of making repairs throughout.
Manugian reported that a new flyover was done recently so that GIS maps are up to date. Those maps are the foundation of much of the planning for towns systems. The spring project list includes two bus stop shelters. Sites selected were ones where the town already owns the land and where it is possible to make them handicap accessible. One will be at the corner of South Road and Railroad Avenue and a second one will be on Loomis at the Great Road. Each will provide bicycle parking.
Plans are underway to expand Shawsheen Cemetery on land already acquired. The existing available sites are filling up. The next step will be to do a wetlands review and propose potential plans for expansion. Also, the overall maintenance schedule for the cemetery will be reviewed.
The Hartford/Crescent/Bacon project is a transportation priority with neighborhood safety primary. The project will improve drainage, add sidewalks and provide a raised crosswalk, which is intended to slow traffic. Manugian said he would be interested in how residents react to the first use of such a crosswalk in town.
The Davis Road boardwalk construction is expected to begin in July 2019 and take one year for completion. It will provide safety for pedestrians over the wetland area on the St. Michael’s end of Davis.
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