HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-6-16I v
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Town and County of Nantucket
ROADS AND RIGHT OF WAY COMMITTEE
Meeting of 16 June 2015
Conference Room of 2 Fairgrounds Road
FINAL AND APPROVED MINUTES
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1. Call to Order, Approval of the Agenda, Approval of Minutes, and Public Comments
A. Chair Allen Reinhard called the meeting to order at 4:01 pm. In attendance were Leslie
Forbes, Nat Lowell (arrived at 4:04 pm and left at 5:05 pm), Joe Marcklinger, Allen Reinhard,
Bert Ryder (arrived at 4:13 pm), and Lee Saperstein; there was a quorum at all times.
Absent were D. Anne Atherton and John Stackpole
Guests: Mike Burns, Town Transportation Planner, Pen Austin, and Elliot Zolot
The agenda as distributed was accepted.
B. Public Comment. Pen Austin and Eliot Zolot, owners of properties at 53 and 55 Union Street,
are interested in installing a sidewalk of brick with a granite curb in front of their properties in
the unimproved space between their fences and the road surface. David Barham suggested that
they contact the committee. As they explained their needs, Allen Reinhard posed the question,
"How can we help ?" He also asked Nat Lowell, member of the Planning Board, to suggest how
they should proceed. Nat Lowell said that they should have a plan or survey that they can
present to the Town. Pen Austin showed a plan that could easily accept the sidewalk design.
Mike Burns suggested that they talk with Kara Buzanoski at the DPW to see if it is possible for
the Town to share design and construction costs. Eventually, because sidewalks belong to the
Town, the Board of Selectmen would need to approve those actions, even if they, as property
owners, install the sidewalk and give it to the Town. Joe Marcklinger said that it should go into
our list of needed sidewalks and all agreed. Mike Burns said that he would put it into the revised
Nantucket Regional Transportation Plan.
C. Minutes. It was moved by Joe Marcklinger and seconded by Nat Lowell to approve the
minutes of March May 19, 2015; approval was unanimous.
2. Sidewalk Survey Project: Update and Next Steps.
In introducing the topic of the sidewalk survey, Allen Reinhard said that a lot is going on. He
met with Libby Gibson, Town Administrator, Kara Buzanoski, Director of the DPW, Silvio
Genao, Town Engineer, and Greg Tivnan, Assistant Town Manager, and found that they are
receptive to beginning projects that would fix our sidewalks. He said also that Dave Fredericks
is working on projects for the Town and they include sidewalks. He said that it was suggested
that, instead of merely submitting our report to the Board of Selectmen, we schedule an extended
workshop with them sometime in the fall. He reported that the meeting attendees recognized that
major repairs and construction of new sidewalks should be divided into a series of affordable
capital projects while keeping the smaller parts in house as part of the DPW operating budget.
Allen Reinhard said that our assistance to the Town would be to prioritize these projects. There
was general discussion in this meeting that reinforced the committee's draft sidewalk- survey
report: work first on the heavily used streets in the core district that have been identified as
having deficient sidewalks. Mike Burns has provided Allen with a map that will accompany the
Regional Transportation Plan and it included specific sidewalks that should be rebuilt, including
their area. Allen Reinhard said also that he had met with Selectman Tobias Glidden about
additional bicycle routes and was glad for the input but did explain to him that our current focus
was sidewalks.
As part of the discussion on setting priorities for sidewalk repairs, Allen Reinhard asked Mike
Burns to explain what he had put into the proposed revision of the 2015 Regional Transportation
Plan (the Plan is available on the NP &EDC web site, http: / /nantucket- ma.gov /)08 /Public-
Rcview- Documents). Mike Burns explained that he had included the Committee's
recommendations on Road Takings in the plan. Lee Saperstein said that, in the sections on
bicycle (6.6.) and pedestrian (6.7.) safety, many of our suggestions in the draft sidewalk - survey
report had been incorporated. In addition, several of the proposed bicycle paths and routes
would require takings of private roads and that would feed into agenda item below. He also said
that he would move that we endorse the section of the Regional Transportation Plan on
pedestrian safety by means of a letter to the Nantucket Planning and Economic Commission,
with a copy to the Board of Selectmen. He said that he would draft the letter and would ensure
that it included reference to our priority -one sidewalk repair list. Bert Ryder seconded the
motion and all agreed. Inasmuch as the public hearing on the Plan is June 22nd at 6:00 pm; the
letter will need to be sent this week [letter attached].
Mike Burns also reported that he had agreed to supervise one of the Worcester Polytechnic
Institute student design projects this fall; it will include a review of pedestrian accessibility
improvements. He had thought originally that this would be mostly about NRTA bus stops and
passenger safety but realized that it could be expanded to all ADA accessibility issues on
Nantucket streets. The students would need to combine design requirements with historic
sensitivities.
3. Sconset Footpath Deeds Report.
Allen Reinhard reminded the committee that we had agreed to the request that we review deeds
for the `Sconset Footpath to see if there was any reference to their movement with erosion of the
bluff. Lee Saperstein reported that he had copies of the 1892 Flagg deed of transfer of land to
the Proprietors and the 1925 Proprietors deed of transfer to the Town of Nantucket, along with
the Land Court recorded plan, and could find no reference to anything but a strict metes and
bound survey of the land. He suggested that we should conclude action on this item.
4. Discussion: Potential Takings List Review.
Allen Reinhard asked if we should review this issue: "Do we want to spend time on the list of
potential road takings ?" Inasmuch as the Board of Selectmen sets priorities, we may only offer
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advice. He went on to say said that, in his mind, the answer was yes because road takings are
back on the Board of Selectmen agenda. Also, the inclusion in the revised Regional
Transportation Plan of some streets, such as Winn Street, that are not even on our current list
means that our list needs to be revised. As pointed out by Lee Saperstein and Allen Reinhard,
funds have been spent on Boulevarde and First Way planning in anticipation of their
reconstruction as public ways. This means that they could be removed from the list and allow
other ways to move up. Lee Saperstein said that a revision of the plan would remind the Board
of Selectmen that this is a subject in which we are interested.
Joe Marcklinger asked about Hulbert Avenue and the Willard Street way to the harbor that was
to have been taken. Allen Reinhard said that an easement for pedestrian passage was obtained
but that it was only for five feet, which eliminated the potential to make for a curving path within
a broader 10 -ft easement. The narrower way was part of a compromise whereby the property
owners signed on to the One Big Beach easement allowing the entire 33 -ft way over the beach to
the water. A meeting has held with the property owners to resolve the issue of encroachments
into the Willard Street easement.
5. Old, New, or Other Business.
Leslie Forbes asked about the public /private way map that was listed on previous agendas. Allen
Reinhard said that Nathan Porter had apologized to him and indicated that his priorities had
changed. Leslie Forbes said that this issue was important to her and should be returned to the
agenda.
6. Adjournment.
Adjournment came at 5:29 pm.
The next meeting is July 21, 2015, 4:00 p.m., 2 Fairgrounds Road.
R &ROW Committee Outstanding Projects List:
Projects Under Way:
• Downtown Sidewalk Survey Project
• Nantucket Central Railroad Trail Project
• In Town Bike Path from Washington St. Ext. to Rotary
• Boulevarde to Airport road takings, and reconstruction as Public Ways
• Installation of sidewalk from Prospect St. multi -use path to Upper Vestal Street
• Bike path linking Surfside, Hummock Pond & Madaket Bike paths via Mill Hill
• Surfside paper road/abutters way takings
• Access to Sconset Footpath, maintenance and signage
Projects in need of advancement:
• First Way Pedestrian/Bike Access and Road Improvement Safety Project
• Nantucket Open Space Plan Update
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• Nantucket Greenway and Footpath System
• East Creek Road viewing platform and CPC grant
• Harbor walk
• Update Potential Takings List and process used to evaluate priority for takings
• Work with DPW on maintenance plan for public way monuments and trails
• Oversight of maintenance West Chester St. Ext., Crooked Lane and Cathcart Road
Completed projects needing implementation and follow up:
• Chapter 91 Public Access License Enforcement: Harbor Plan Implementation
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Town and County of Nantucket Roads and Right of Way Committee
16 Broad Street
Nantucket, MA 02554
Re: Proposed Revisions to the
2016 Regional Transportation Plan
Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission;
Board of Selectmen of the Town of Nantucket
16 Broad Street
Nantucket, MA 02554
Dear Commissioners and Selectmen:
The Roads and Right of Way Committee, at its meeting of June 16, 2015, voted unanimously to
support the bicycle and pedestrian safety elements of the proposed revisions to the Nantucket
Regional Transportation Plan, RTP. Specifically, these are Sections 6.6. and 6.7. of the Plan.
Over the past year, our committee has been surveying the condition of Nantucket's sidewalks
and has prepared a draft report of our findings. There is no doubt that many of our sidewalks
need to be replaced and in several key places provided for the fast time. We are pleased to
report the collaborative efforts of Nantucket's Transportation Planner, Mike Burns, who has
incorporated many of our findings into the RTP.
Section 6.7. on Pedestrian Safety lists many of the streets in Nantucket's core that should have
their sidewalks rebuilt. You may be interested in this quotation from our Committee's draft
report:
"Priority 1. We recommend that the following high - priority streets have their sidewalks rebuilt either in
their entirety or with sufficient coverage to improve their rating to one (1). The following streets should be
dealt with first.
• Main Street, both sides but excluding the recently re -built portion on the north side
between Center and Federal Streets.
• Federal Street on the west side between Main and Chestnut Streets.
• Center Street, both sides between Broad and Chestnut.
• India Street, the lower portion (ex -Pearl Street) of the north side adjacent to the
Atheneum.
• Broad Street, the south side between Center and Federal."
"The following streets, listed alphabetically, should be fixed as soon as funds become available.
Candle Street, Chester Street, Cliff Road (downtown portion only), Commercial Street, East Chestnut
Street, Easton Street, Gardner Street, Jefferson Avenue, New Whale Street, Oak Street, Salem Street, Union
Street, Walnut Street, Washington Street, and Whaler Lane."
On behalf of the Committee
Allen B. Reinhard, Chair