The Select Board Monday unanimously voted to include an article on the fall town meeting warrant that, if approved, would resurrect extending the paved Minuteman Bikeway to the Concord line.
A proposal to spend community preservation funds on easements needed to complete the project was short of the required two-thirds minimum majority at the March 28 annual town meeting session. Many who opposed the improvements said they prefer to retain the natural character of the corridor.
That vote appeared to be the death knell for the long-planned improvements since the state and federal funds paying for the construction were allocated for the current fiscal year.
But thanks to an infusion of federal funds, a window has opened for scheduling the work during the fiscal year beginning in October 2023. “This funding is very rare,” Department of Public Works Director David Manugian said Monday.
The 2.2-mile project from Depot Park to the Concord line, mostly following the former B&M Railroad bed, was scheduled to be funded under Massachusetts’ Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), which is administered by the interagency Metropolitan Planning Organization. TIP projects are scheduled several years in advance, based on available funding.
Several Select Board members Monday took responsibility for the setback at Annual Town Meeting. “We didn’t really respond in a way that was helpful to town meeting. We have the opportunity to reset that,” said board member Edward Pierce. Opponents “brought up points we didn’t have answers to. We now have the opportunity to answer some of the questions,” added his colleague Shawn Hanegan, who noted that 60 percent of voters supported procuring the easements. “At least try to win over a lot of people who opposed it.”
“I think it’s fair to say we could have done a more robust job explaining this information; at the time I think we were focused on the fire station and I didn’t think this bit of final housekeeping was controversial,” said board Chair Emily Mitchell. “We didn’t respond quickly or completely enough to overcome last-minute objections and concerns.”
Several of those concerns were addressed in a memorandum by Manugian that he shared at Monday’s meeting. They included:
Endangered species: “No portion of the project is located in a habitat for rare wildlife,” as validated by the Conservation Commission and the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Trees: The 20 street trees targeted for removal near Railroad Avenue will be replaced with 60 trees at another location. The 4.34 acres of trees along the edges of the trail, and at expanded parking areas would generate $21,700 in mitigation payments to a special tree fund. Pierce pointed out that most of these trees can be considered “invasive” and not “majestic trees we’re really trying to save.”
The surface: Although stone dust is not a suitable substitute for pavement because it is unstable for disabled persons and deters long-term maintenance, there will be a three-foot stone dust shoulder on each side along 75 percent of the extension.
Timing: Many abutters were notified of eminent domain proceedings or easement payments just days before town meeting in March. “This was an unfortunate circumstance,” Manugian said, due to federal filing delays.
School cross-country practice and meets: “All the students will have a safe and appropriate location during this project.”
Asked by Pierce about the Railroad Avenue segment of the project, Manugian described a 10-foot shared-use path on the south side and a sidewalk on the north side between South Road and Field G, “trying not to encroach too much on commercial and residential property.”
He emphasized that drainage issues on the street are also slated to be corrected. That street is “a critical part of our infrastructure. I would hate to lose such an opportunity,” said board Chair Emily Mitchell.
Manugian recommended better marketing before town meeting; discussion with impacted owners “for them to express specific concerns; a community forum to identify concerns of the general public;” updating the website “with more visual tools, more detail and pictures, and engaging community stakeholders for additional project support.”
He said that if the project can’t go forward after the fall town meeting, “it is unlikely to be funded in another TIP year.”
Mitchell noted that she and other board members “have heard from a number of constituents, most advocating for its resuscitation.”
She summarized the history of the project – almost 18 years since its conception – and pointed out that there were three previous town meeting votes of approval. Design proceeded in stages after a 2014 funding approval, until all that remained was to ensure clear title along the length of the corridor.
It was discovered that the long-assumed town ownership wasn’t accurate; there were segments – including some now with underground utilities — that reverted to original owners after the B&M Railroad abandoned the right-of-way. “Because the town did the right thing, the whole project –and the public access that residents have enjoyed for decades — is at risk,” she said.
Town Manager Sarah Stanton noted that town counsel has advised a “refresher assessment” to ensure that the value of the easements is current. She noted that acquisition by donation or purchase is much preferable to eminent domain – which is what necessitated the failed two-thirds vote.
“The goal of this project is to provide wider access for the whole community,” Mitchell asserted. “If we can do a better job making the case for the need, being more present in the community, and making more opportunities for community engagement, that’s really the way to go. And there’s a broad coalition ready to help.”
Manugian pointed out that nine appointed boards and committees, ranging from Finance and Capital Expenditure to Transportation Advisory, have expressed support.
“This is a once-in-our-lifetime opportunity to have the state come in and fund it,” said Pierce, who lives a five-minute walk from the trail. “This is a great project for us to bring forward.”
Five residents addressed the bikeway topic during the public comment period that opened the Select Board meeting. Bicycle Advisory Committee member Mark Bailey called for “safety, accessibility, and inclusivity for all residents.” Leah Devereux noted that most natural areas in the town are inaccessible to disabled people, not only because of surface issues but also a lack of parking. Ellen Scheiner supported the proposed safety measures along Railroad Avenue.
Desiree Girifalco, proprietor of Bedford Children’s Center, adjacent to the intersection of the trail and Concord Road, expressed concern about the impact of construction on children’s health and safety. Plans call for a tunnel underneath Concord Road where the bikeway intersects.
Robin Steele, who has consistently opposed the easement expenditure, noted that the Concord town meeting recently voted to retain the right-of-way as a natural trail. “I just wanted to make sure everybody knew that,” she said.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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So when the town votes in a way the Select Board doesn’t like, they vote to give themselves more time to “market’ to the residents until we fall in line? Wow. Just wow.
I am disappointed that the Select Board has voted this way. It seems to me that the failure of this article at town meeting was an opportunity to rethink the plans for the Reformatory Branch trail to achieve something like a consensus on what the town should do about it. Instead the Select Board is just going to try and dress up the existing plan and ram it through.
I am disappointed in this decision. I had thought that the failure of to pass this in the Spring town meeting would motivate thinking about a consensus solution that would satisfy the town. It seems that the Select Board has chosen to double down and ram through the original proposal that a significant portion of the town is unhappy with.
In the article a stone dust surface is dismissed out of hand with the claim that is incompatible with access. That is not true. Stone dust trails can be made to be ADA compliant.