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Public Ways Safety Committee Minutes 1-12-11
Minutes
Public Ways Safety Committee
Bolton, Massachusetts
January 12th 2011

Members present: Mary Ciummo, Rob Hagopian, Deborah Kellett, Tom Kittler, Peter Ross

Minutes from the December 8th meeting were approved and accepted.

OLD BUSINESS:

  • Line of Sight Bylaw – preparation for Selectmen’s meeting 1/13/2011
  • We were concerned about requiring the Board of Selectmen to impose a zoning violation fine for non-compliance.  Currently the draft version 6.4 uses the term “may” which leaves the decision to fine up to the Board.
  • The tree at Jordan and Berlin is a good example to use of an existing sight line problem.
  • Chief Alfano is willing to talk to a problematic homeowner and usually the issue is resolved.
  • Center Line on Wilder Road – Citizen request
  • First snow plowings do not expose fog lines and a center line would help.
  • There has only been one head-on collision in 10 years (ie. not many) and there are no traffic counts, both of which are considerations to justify a center line.
  • The Police Department is supportive but the DPW do not think the road is wide enough in some locations for a center line.
  • Cost could be saved by only painting a center line at critical points.
  • We should create a prioritized list of locations where improved line painting is needed and we should put this request on the list.  Prioritization can be discussed after we have done the pending study of the whole of Wilder Road.  Prioritization will enable recommendations to be made when there is insufficient budget to complete all.
  • Mary will write to the citizen (Steve Beckwith) to say his request has been “put on the list”.
  • 3% Budget cut
  • Rob will contact Shelley at DPW for a breakdown of costs of each of our requests in the “Safety” line item of their budget, 100% of which was cut.
  • Bolton Mobility Plan
  • Jennifer Attwood Burney likes the idea of a subcommittee and offered a member of the Planning Board to join it.  We prefer to head the committee because of our experience and for integrating it into our other work. She is applying for a grant.
  • Mary has notified Jennifer that we had talked about a new bylaw which would require sidewalks in front of all new developments.  Jennifer said that the Planning Board would be the body to create such a bylaw and stated that the Mobility Plan should be done first.
  • We should look at the Sudbury sidewalk plan to see if it could be used as a template.
  • Master list of Intersections
  • To recap, we had decided earlier to focus our first efforts on Wilder, South Bolton, Sugar and Berlin Roads) all of which are collector or cut through roads.
  • At the next meeting we will discuss Wilder Road with respect to signage, speed, brush, visibility and width over the whole length.

NEW BUSINESS:

  • Village Overlay District zoning.
  • Design guidelines should include stronger language on sidewalks and then it could be applied town-wide.
  • Sidewalks within the district should be connected together and then connect to other town sidewalks to allow pedestrian access from town.
ACTION ITEMS:

Peter:  Attend the Board of Selectmen on January 13th to present latest Draft Line of Sight bylaw.
Mary:   Send a letter to Steve Beckwith re status of center line request.
        Send our input to Jennifer on Village Overlay District
Rob:    Contact DPW for breakdown of budget requests
All:    Study Wilder Road safety aspects
        Evaluate Sudbury Sidewalk plan


The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
The next meeting is scheduled for 7:00 on Wednesday, January 26th.
Minutes submitted by Peter Ross