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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 15, 2022 NANTUCKE TOWN CLERK Town and County of Nantucket 2022 APR Z7 fiti I I: 5L ROADS AND RIGHT OF WAY COMMITTEE • Posted Meeting of March 15, 2022 Held by Zoom Videoconferencing FINAL AND APPROVED MINUTES 1. Call to Order,Approval of the Agenda,Approval of Minutes,and Public Comments. A. Chair Allen Reinhard called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. In attendance were Committee Members Rick Atherton,Nelson(Snookie)Eldridge,Ed Gillum, Bill Grieder,Nat Lowell (4:10 pm),Allen Reinhard, Rob Ranney, Lee Saperstein, and Phil Smith;there was a quorum at all times. All present responded to an attendance roll call. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed on You Tube. Supporters attending: Stephen Arceneaux, DPW Director,Richard(Moe)Moore,DPW Operations Manager,Nate Porter, GIS Coordinator, and Phyllis Ruguaru,DPW Office Manager. B. Approval of the Agenda. The agenda was approved unanimously by acclamation. C. Public Comments. None. Allen Reinhard said for the benefit of all and,particularly,new members,that there is an excellent book written by Fran Karttunen on behalf of the Committee that gives the history of the roads and ways on Nantucket. It is available on Amazon for$9.95: https://www.amazon.com/W ays-Off-Shore-History- Nantucket/dp/1484152115/ref==sr_1 1?crid=1 H4TT9J W479MF&keywords=ways+off+shore&qi d=l 647438951&sprefix=ways+off+shore%2Caps%2C207&si=8-1. He regretted that he could not get hold of the custom publishing platform to order copies in bulk. D. Minutes. Approval of the minutes from February 15, 2022,was moved by Bill Grieder, seconded by Rick Atherton, and approved unanimously by roll-call vote;Phil Smith chose to abstain because he was not present at last month's meeting. A question was asked about the Town's new Transportation Planner,Patrick Reed, and whether he was active. No one knew but remembered that we had asked Andrew Vorce, Director of Planning to arrange for him to visit with the Committee as soon as he was officially in place. 2. Ken Beaugrand Possible Update on Projects. Ken Beaugrand had sent a message saying that he was sorry but that he was obliged to attend a competing meeting and that he had no news for any of the agenda items. 1 3. Map Project: Five Categories of Public Access (One Big Beach,Emergency Access Map, Roads and Right of Way Monument Locations, Chapter 91 Licenses,and Private Access Points). In introducing this topic,Allen Reinhard said that it was his goal,not just to create a map and listing,to define the goal of the project and to show what and who will benefit from it. A small subcommittee, himself, Lee Saperstein, and Phil Smith, met virtually with Nathan Porter on February 18th to discuss steps toward the goal. They agreed that there should be separate map layers for each of the five categories listed above: one big beach, emergency access map,roads and right of way monument locations, chapter 91 licenses, and private access points,where the last category would include the charitable (non-governmental) organizations such as the Land Bank and the Conservation Foundation that have opened their lands to the public. Allen Reinhard related that the public footpath monuments listing is on the Committee's website but that there are six upright and several flush monuments to be installed and then included in the master chart of monuments (https://nantucket-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1097 and https://nantucket-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1098). Nathan Porter said that he had a copy of the master chart and looked forward to the update [Action:,.Lee Saperstein to include latest installationsinto thewchart.q Allen Reinhard asked Nate Porter about the status of the project and what scale he envisioned the map to be. Nate suggested that the five layers should be collected into a single summary layer, which, being in the Town's GIS system, could be expanded or shrunk depending upon whether the viewer wanted to see individual properties or the entire island. Views can be printed also if the viewer wishes to have a physical map. He said that the manager of the GIS system has a $500 fee for any new insertion. Incidentally, he said that the GIS system is comprised of individual tiles of which there are approximately one and one-half million. [Action Nate Porter to produce a bill or fee schedule to document the fee and Allen Reinhard toTapprise town !Ianagenient,through Erika Mooney, of the need topay this fee] 4. Map Project: Plan Going Forward and Result of Project. At this point,the conversation slid neatly into the next agenda item: future steps. Phil Smith noted that most people today carry a pocket-sized computer, namely a smart telephone, and that the summary map should be inserted into an App for use by tourists and beach goers. Lee Saperstein agreed that once the GIS summary access map is available it should be placed into an App; he asked Nate Porter if we could do this transfer locally. The answer was that a commercial App developer would be needed but that it is not difficult. Returning to the question of for whom is this map being developed,Allen Reinhard reminded the committee members that one of the driving forces ten years ago was to document and physically identify public ways so that they would not be lost in the shrubbery or landowners' landscaping. While,perhaps, repetitive,the ensuing conversation emphasized the wish to create five separate GIS layers corresponding to the listed categories and then a definitive summary layer that could 2 also be transferred to hand-held devices. When asked if he needed any more data,Nate Porter said that he had good information on One Big Beach locations,the public-way monument chart, and the Fire Department's list of public access points. He would like to get the best and latest information on NGO access points and he also needed someone to do additional research on Chapter 91 Licenses that are in the harbor. [Action: Allen Reinhard To get NGO lists and map. sand Leep Saperstein to-research property IDs for the Chapter 91 properties;`Nathan Porter to continue to develop"tl easum nary map of=water access points"on;piss' w u Lee Saperstein suggested that this work could lead the way in the development of Apps for Nantucket sightseeing and hospitality. He envisioned a page for the routes of the Nantucket Railroad that included easily accessed history paragraphs. Phil Smith suggested that we have two months before the Island goes into tourism mode and that now is a good time to ground truth the public-way monuments. Allen Reinhard said that he does look out for them;his concern is often that they get hidden by volunteer shrubbery. He will create a calendar of activities,particularly to organize volunteer ground truthing. There was a general offering of help from inter alia, SnookieEldridge, Bill Grieder, Allen Reinhard,Lee Saperstein, and Phil Smith. [Action Allen Reinhard to organize ground truthtng;DPW to add monuments to its list of mowing and frimming activities] 5. Greenway and Trail System Project: Update. Allen Reinhard reported that the charitable organizations, Conservation Foundation and Land Bank, have been working on their maps, making them available on line. The Land Bank is identifying its individual properties by name so that their maps can be found more easily on their web site. When all maps are up to date and available, it will be easy to see that there are cross- Island trails that constitute the long-anticipated Greenway. 6. Chapter 91 Update. Allen Reinhard noted that Jeff Carlson,Director,Department of Natural Resources,had made a presentation to the combined Executive Committee of the Nantucket Civic League and Presidents of the local area associations (recording available on the Civic League website: www.nantucketcivicleague.com for several more weeks) during which he mentioned Chapter 91 Licenses and the Town's interest in them. Lee Saperstein said that he believes that Jeff Carlson will work with our committee to bring as much information as is possible before the public. He said during his presentation that the Town is interested in becoming more active in the responsibility for these licenses and is interfacing with the State on this. During his comments, Allen Reinhard said that knowing about existing licenses had brought up the issue of knowing which of the Nantucket ways are private,which public, and which undetermined. Consideration of a Harbor Walk, a long-time interest of the committee, brings forth both road ownership and Chapter 91 Licenses. Ed Gillum said that this walkway would be a perfect location for a pilot 3 project to investigate ownership and licenses. It was noted by Allen Reinhard and others that ReMain Nantucket had engaged a consultant to layout routes for a harbor walk. 7. Old,New, and Other Business,and Member Comments, Nathan Porter spoke of creating a section-by-section map of the island and his need for assistance on road names where they are indeterminate. Rick Atherton asked if the Select Board had taken action on the Committee's memorandum of support for the amendment of Chapter 91 by the inclusion of the word, "recreation," in the list of allowable activities in the intertidal lands. Allen Reinhard said that they had accepted the memorandum but had taken no action on it EAction Allen Reinhard to check with Erika Mooney on'memorandum status:] Rick Atherton asked also if there was a listing of recently approved road takings and the status of those takings. In particular, he was interested in the status of the ways to the water along Hulbert Avenue and Baxter Road. [Aetidn:7Alle t~Reiff 'ar yyll ask Andiew VoreOoot..status,r port] 6. Adjourn. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 5:14 pm by consensus. The next meeting will be held at 4:00 pm on Tuesday,April 19,2022. Lee W. Saperstein, Secretary Date Roads and Right of Way Outstanding Projects List: Public Way Monument Project: (Lee &Allen& Snookie). Install remaining monuments at Sconset Footpath,Hulbert Ave., and other locations. Update file of existing monuments. Move monuments at Westchester St. Ext. &Crooked Lane. Sidewalk Projects: (Lee &Allen). Prospect St. (sidewalk to Upper Vestal St.)and on to Madaket bike path. Cliff Rd. Coffin Park to bike path at Sherburne Tpk. Pleasant St. Gardner Perry Lane to Williams St. Lovers Lane Bike path and road reconstruction: follow progress. Follow implementation of downtown sidewalk improvements. Bike/Pedestrian connection from Surfside to Hummock Pond to Madaket paths. Chapter 91 Monitor Project: (Lee,Rick,Phil). Make local license information available online. 4 Harbor Walk Project, list of permits and approvals,Identify route. Chapter 91 licenses along route for the Harbor Walk. Locate other locations on waterfronts requiring licenses. Nantucket Greenway and Trail System Project: (Allen,Lee). Nantucket Central Railroad trail map of route. Island Trail Map with all walking trails. 5