Norwell Board of Selectmen's Meeting
September 12, 2001
Mr. Merritt opened the meeting and introduced the Board members and Jim Boudreau, Town Administrator. Paul Gaynor was unable to attend.
MOTION: Mr. Mariano moved the Board approve the agenda as written. Second by Mr. Merritt.
Voted.
Mr. Merritt started the meeting by saying the Board met prior to the meeting with Gerry Haley from State Street Bank discussed permanently bonding one or two of the building projects within the next 9 or more months.
Mr. Merritt introduced Mr. Steve Ivas updating the Board on Rte 3 Land Development Task Force to go over the final draft.
Mr. Ivas discussed the proposed plan of widening of the highway from Weymouth to Duxbury. Some suggestions are:
· Primary goals from the Highway Department; not stated as well as they could be.
Are they looking for relief from congestion or safety?
· We suggest a more comprehensive study.
Will the project meet the goal of increase capacity and safety?
· If you add another lane and don't use the breakdown lane the improvement will be twenty-five percent. Does that twenty-five percent justify the expense or are there other methods to decrease congestion.
· We all agree the present condition of the Braintree split needs to be included in the analysis.
· The traffic model and analysis need to be updated. There a more recent versions of large commercial and residential projects now.
· Possibly an access road from the Naval Air Station to Route 3 and Route 18.
· The Tri-Town development corporation see it as an improvement. Their models suggest if the access road is built to Route 18 and connect it to the “T” with bus service, it would decrease over the long term in the 20/20 condition.
· The Plymouth developments and Hingham Ship Yard, Plymouth/Carver/Middlebourgh development and Route 44 are not on the model.
· The South Shore should have a comprehensive Transportation Master Plan including all forms of transportation so that future Master Plans of the towns as well as Zoning can take transportation development into account.
· Route 53 in Hanover provides indirect development.
· The South Shore has 3 Planning Organizations; Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Serpent, and the Old Colony Planning Council which creates a problem in trying to manage.
· Instead of additional exits we may see the need for a clover leaf in Marshfield at 139 and in Hanover.
· People need to think regionally, we share water supply with Hanover.
· A suggestion is the Highway Department develop a task force to look at the area as a region.
· The concept of getting people from Norwell to Greenbush without using cars.
· Towns within corridor need to identify parcels that can be purchased and restored by the Commonwealth.
· Storm water management.
· Off-site intersections should be improved. Such as Queen Anne's Corner.
· Preserving the Median strip.
· The North River Bridge and vista be given special consideration, nothing overhead.
· A citizen advisory committee be created and utilized with the designing project.
New Business
MOTION: Mr. Mariano moved the board approve the request from Borrowed Butler for a one day all alcoholic license for an event to be held at the Cushing Center on September 22, 2001 between the hours of 6:30 PM and 11:00 PM. Second by Mr. Merritt.
Voted.
MOTION: Mr. Mariano moved the Board approve October 24th as United Nations Day in the town of Norwell. Second by Mr. Merritt.
Voted.
Commissioner Matt Amorello, Mass Highway, will be speaking with the Board Thursday morning, September 13, 2001 regarding issues with Routes 123, 53, and Queen Anne's Corner, the truck issue.
Items of Interest
The Board of Water Commissioners rescind water restriction effective Monday, September 10, 2001.
Mr. Merritt closed by saying the Selectmen are constantly in touch with safety issues.
The Selectmen have joined with the Norwell Visiting Nurse Association and Norwell High School Administration and Students and the Norwell Fire Department to establish a Blood Bank in Norwell. A date in time to be announced.
The Board is saddened to learn that Jay Corcoran of Prospect Street was on American Flight 11. He was a volunteer in our youth programs. The Board would like to extend our condolences to the family.
MOTION: Mr. Marino moved the Board adjourn. Second by Mr. Merritt.
Voted.
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James M. Boudreau, Town Administrator
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