HomeMy WebLinkAboutRight-of-Way Minutes - August 16, 2011 (Draft)_201402041506231670
TOWN AND COUNTY OF NANTUCKET ROADS AND RIGHT OF WAY COMMITTEE
DRAFT MINUTES
August 16, 2011
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Allen Reinhard called the monthly meeting to order at 4:05 PM on Tuesday,
August 16 in the Garage Area of the Town Building at 2 Fairgrounds Road. In addition to Mr.
Reinhard, the following Committee members were present: D. Anne Atherton, Nat Lowell,
Sylvie O’Donnell, Bert Ryder, Lee Saperstein and Harvey Young. Also in attendance were Mike
Burns, Transportation Planner and Joe Marcklinger, member of the public.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The motion to approve the draft Minutes of July 19 was made by Mr. Lowell and seconded by
Mr. Saperstein. The motion was adopted unanimously.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CPC: Chairman Reinhard informed the Committee that the Community Preservation
Committee (CPC) was hosting a public presentation at this very moment, so Chairman Ken
Beaugrand was unable to attend our session. Mr. Reinhard will put the matter of the CPC and
possible funding on a future R&ROW agenda.
Proposal for ATM2012: The Director of Planning, Andrew Vorce, intends to go through the
remaining papers road on the island and initiate the takings process for each. The
comprehensive process will involved determining whether any of the parcels are needed for
public ways and/or open space. If not, they will be placed in the “yard sale.” Apparently, there
are about 100 such paper roads island-wide. Mr. Reinhard said that he would invite Mr. Vorce
to a future meting to outline this project. Mr. Saperstein suggested that a helpful role for the
Committee would be to initiate community education about the process and the goals of the
project.
Spring Street: Following the July 19 meeting of the Committee, Mr. Saperstein did further
research in regard to Spring Street, an older way from Lincoln circle to Jefferson Street, not the
named way near to Consue Springs. He believes that the status is “ambiguous” and that it
doesn’t make sense for us to mark this road as a PUBLIC WAY. Apparently this way has been
used by neighbors for “generations.” One of the owners is Ambrecht, and McCausland the
other, between 13 and 14 Lincoln Circle. The Town has never formally laid out the paper way.
We can put this on the “back burner,” but not forget it. It’s a great short cut: go down Pequod
and on down the beach to Jetties.
DRAFT ROW Committee Minutes, 8.16.11 2
DISCUSSION: EXISTING PLANS FOR SIDEWALKS, REGULATIONS, REQUIREMENTS,
PROCEDURES, PROCESS AND FUNDING SOURCES FOR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENT
PROJECTS.
A discussion ensued between the Committee and Mr. Burns regarding how the Committee
might assist with plans to address existing sidewalks and ways in Town? Which are priorities?
Prospect Hill Bike/Pedestrian Improvements: Mr. Burns discussed the proposed FY2013
Capital Project being submitted by the Planning Office to Town Administration. See
ATTACHMENT I (2 pages) for map and further information. This is a priority.
Additional options were discussed, in terms of cost, safety and citizen support. Mr. Burns
believed the original proposal that was not adopted by the BOS was the “best.”
Mr. Reinhard raised the possibility of a third option: a sidewalk plan along Prospect. He had
previously walked this area with Leo Assadorian: While there are many obstructions, a plan
was developed by engineers years ago. Three poles need to be moved, also a hydrant. This
option would get pedestrians from the end of the Prospect-Street, multi-use path to Milk Street.
All that is needed are the funds. It was agreed that this is a **separate** project. If we cannot yet
link the bike paths, we can at least get the sidewalk done. Mr. Burns pointed out that funding
for this project would be local, not public TIP dollars.
After extensive discussion, the consensus was to support re-examination of the Saratoga route.
MOTION It was moved by Ms. Atherton and seconded by Mr. Saperstein that the Committee
establish a Work Group, involving input from area residents and a cyclist or two, to work with
Mr. Burns to develop a recommendation to improve the bike and pedestrian ways in the
Prospect Hill area and to report back to the R&ROW Committee by October. The motion was
adopted unanimously.
Additional concerns discussed included:
· sidewalk on Pleasant Street? bottleneck; not a plan yet; between Williams and Back; get some
surveying done; attempting to obtain fund to define the issue; West Creek is also a part of this;
**from five corners to the roundabout**
· First Way: what is needed? DPW capital request this coming year
· there are other sidewalk situation in Town dealing with encroachments or where there is no
sidewalk
· ferry access; widening of Straight Wharf; better connection between resorts and the two ferry
terminals; also along Easy Street and in front of the Pacific Club
· Washington Street Extension and in-Town bike path
DRAFT ROW Committee Minutes, 8.16.11 3
The Sidewalk Situation: An overall approach to the sidewalk situation might be something like
a Nantucket Sidewalk Survey project. The objective of such a project, as well as an action plan
could encompass the following:
A. Identify and map existing public sidewalks in the Town of Nantucket; indicate width, surface
and condition
B. Review data with Planning Director and Transportation Planner and make recommendations
to the BOS/CC regarding:
· identify gaps in existing sidewalk sections (i.e. Pleasant Street, Prospect Street and Quaker
Road)
· develop safety recommendations
· develop cost estimates
· develop plan for improving pedestrian access via sidewalks throughout Town
· coordinate grant application for possible CPC funding of project
· work with Nantucket Town Association to develop project
· conduct discussion of parking on sidewalks; develop appropriate recommendations, if
warranted
· identify encroachments on public ways and enforcement of by-laws
· divide Town into cohesive sections and prioritize problem areas
Encroachments: There are other sidewalk situations in Town dealing with encroachments or
where there is NO sidewalk. Mr. Marcklinger had prepared several photographs depicting such
situations. See ATTACHMENT II (6 pages). The suggestion was made again that we
recommend to the BOS that a regulation requiring encroachment-free standard for Building
Permits and/or conveyance be enacted. Mr. Young stated that this has been an ongoing
problem for many, many years, making it difficult to walk around Town with children and
family. The Town should be maintaining rights of ways that we already have. The time is right.
Linking this with a Building Permit does it for “free.” Such an encroachment-free requirement
deals with the enforcement side of this issue, an area the Committee has been having difficulty
in being effective, example: the Coal Alley encroachment letter.
TO DO It was agreed that Chairman Reinhard and Mr. Marcklinger will pursue this idea
with appropriate Town officials and report back to the Committee at the September meeting.
PUBLIC WAY MONUMENT LIST AND MAP, NEXT STEPS
Mr. Saperstein and Ms. Atherton will work on this task, although Ms. Atherton will be out of
commission for a few weeks due to knee surgery.
OTHER BUSINESS
It was agreed that the Committee would schedule a discussion of parking on sidewalks for next
meeting. Also, a follow up with CPC.
DRAFT ROW Committee Minutes, 8.16.11 4
ADJOURNMENT
Having reached the end of the agenda, the Chairman adjourned the meeting at 5:50 PM. The
next regular monthly meeting of the Committee is scheduled for 4:00 PM on Tuesday,
September 20 at 2 Fairgrounds Road. NOTE: Ms. Atherton, the Secretary, will not be in
attendance at the September meeting due to surgery referenced above.
Respectfully submitted,
D. Anne R. Atherton
Secretary
9.15.11
ATTACHMENT I, “Proposed FY2013 Capital Project: Prospect Hill Bike/Pedestrian
Improvements,” Mike Burns, Transportation Planner, August 2011, 2 pp.
ATTACHMENT II, “Encroachments: Photographs and Sample Plan,” Joe Marcklinger, 6 pp.