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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-12-15Town and County of Nantucket ROADS AND RIGHT OF WAY COMMITTEE' Meeting of 15 December 2015 Conference Room of 2 Fairgrounds Road FINAL AND APPROVED MINUTES zc2/ d;j4 # ' v1 Cou �tj Buitd►n ",own j6 Broad St Nantucket 02554 , MA 1. Call to Order, Approval of the Agenda, Approval of Minutes, and pubj@N 212016 PM2:2 Comments. A. Chair Allen Reinhard called the meeting to order at 4:09 pm. In attendance were D. Anne Atherton, Dave Fredericks (4:09 pm), Nat Lowell (left at 5:30 pm), Allen Reinhard, Bert Ryder (4:15 pm), and Lee Saperstein; there was a quorum at all times. Absent were Leslie Forbes, Joe Marcklinger, and John Stackpole Guests: Bernie Bartlett (left at 4:30 pm), Mike Burns, Transportation Planner, and Tobias Glidden, Selectman The agenda as distributed was accepted. B. Public Comment. To allow our guest, Bernie Bartlett, to participate, "Agenda Item 6. "North Mill Street update" was moved to this section on "Public Comment" with the unanimous consent of the committee. Allen Reinhard told the committee that he had no new information from the Town Clerk on the status of North Mill Street. She had committed to looking at old Annual Town Meeting minutes to see if there is any information about public use of the way and/or its takings but has not yet finished that research. Also, Joe Marcklinger had offered to look at Land Court records for this property but has not yet done so. Town Counsel had told us previously that the road is private and will remain so unless the Land Court registration was faulty. Contrary to assumptions made earlier, recent information suggests that there is not a public sewer along the way as previously presumed. Dave Fredericks reminded us that we were also going to get a better definition of deed language that referred to "others who might have rights." The presumption is that this is a standard phrase used in many deeds ( "boiler plate ") but we do not know definitively if there were any identified "rights" holders. Allen Reinhard promised that he would continue to follow up. C. Minutes. The minutes of the meeting of November 17, 2015, were accepted by acclamation. 2. Downtown Sidewalks & Bike Routes: Cultural District & BOS discussion. Chair Reinhard said that this topic was added to agenda after the Board of Selectmen meeting of December 9th where, during a discussion of the capital budget, which included funding for bike routes and sidewalks, they asked for a report on planning for and accomplishments in improving the Town's sidewalks and bike paths. An additional incentive for this topic was the recent approval of the walkable Cultural District, which was reported in last week's newspaper. The word walkable brings us directly back to sidewalks. Several times during this discussion, Allen Reinhard said that this request was a marvelous opportunity for us to showcase our achievements as well as getting input from the Selectmen for our future activities. He also noted that he had just come from a public session where the Nantucket Project students of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, WPI, gave presentations of their project reports. Two of these projects were directly related to the work of our committee: a review of the accessibility of core- district sidewalks and bus stops and a review of issues on maintenance of private roads including their taking. A discussion by Allen Reinhard with the Town Manager on this request from the Board, including potential dates, has led to an invitation for our committee to participate in a Board of Selectmen workshop on Wed, Jan 13, 2016. Mike Burns, Transportation Planner, will probably lead the presentation and then we could add support with some of the work we have done on the Sidewalk Survey and our reviews of proposed bike paths. Allen Reinhard asked Mike Bums to review some material that he had assembled for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, BPAC. The full handout can be obtained from Mr. Burns; attached to these minutes are the several pages of text that outline his projected presentation on past, present, and future Town activities with respect to bike paths and bike routes. As Mike Burns went through this outline, a number of directly related issues were discussed by the committee. These minutes are not an exact chronological record but do reflect all of the discussion. After reminding us of the number of bicycle projects that have been completed or are underway, he asked the committee to consider ranking future phases for sidewalk improvement; these are the projects listed on the second page of the attachment. In joint discussions with the DPW, the Planning Office has requested a ten - million dollar, ten -year project for sidewalk improvements, with one million dollars per year to go into the Town's capital budget. The first phase of this project, mainly in the downtown area and on routes to the ferry terminals, has been set. Guidance on phasing the next projects is an important issue. Connections from mid -Island to the downtown core and further work in the Prospect Hill area are both high -value projects and our guidance could help determine the order in which they are proposed. Selectman Glidden's proposed Historic Bike Route is another. Dave Fredericks suggested that a good business plan has phases and is based on quantitative data. We may have more benefit if we identify criteria for ranking phases instead of picking a phase based on personal experience and anecdote. D. Anne Atherton, referring to our historic mission to provide public access to the water, asked if this is an appropriate issue for our committee. Allen Reinhard suggested that it was and pointed out that we had been discussing for some time with the Town Manager a sidewalks' workshop where we would present the Board of Selectmen with a summary of our Sidewalk Survey. Events have propelled us beyond a simple review of our sidewalk survey and we now have a more comprehensive workshop scheduled. He went on to say that we are supporting the Town; 0) indeed the inclusion of the Directors of Departments of Public Works and Planning and Land Use services as ex officio members of the committee is a direct recognition that the Board of Selectmen intend for us to give advice on a large selection of Town functions. D. Anne Atherton said that she understood this but felt that, since our mission is to advise the Board of Selectmen, we need guidance from the Board of Selectmen on our agenda. In reflecting on the proposal for the development of the Historic Bike Route, Lee Saperstein said that, up until now, all of the takings for public access ways have been amicable and with little direct cost to the Town. The Historic Bike Route will involve contentious decisions on parking on narrow streets and on potential takings of private ways. He suggested to Selectman Glidden that guidance from the Board on whether or not to engage in these issues would be beneficial. Tobias Glidden said that he would prefer for us to give the Board guidance based on our expertise. Allen Reinhard said that we have given such recommendations in the past and are happy to collaborate with Board on how to move forward. Tobias Glidden asked if we had openly reviewed the "Historic Bike Route." Allen Reinhard said that we had reviewed the section in the Regional Transportation Plan update on bicycle routes but not specifically this one. Mike Burns added that presentations on this route had been made to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee but not to ROW. In fact, information on this route was included in the handout. Nat Lowell suggested that we get back to why we are participating in the workshop. Allen Reinhard said, as he had earlier, that we had a specific request from the Town Manager to make a presentation and that this gives us an opportunity to highlight our accomplishments. Dave Fredericks said that, as part of our future work, we need to establish a process for setting priorities as opposed to setting them anecdotally. Lee Saperstein asked about data and what data do we need to establish these priorities. How and who, he asked, will collect these data? D. Anne Atherton said that we should set the workshop agenda to highlight our work on access to the water, which is a key issue for our committee. She asked if we are up -to -date on the takings of lateral ways on Baxter Road. What is the status of the ` Sconset Bluff footpath? This issue is significant to our mission. We should include public access to the water as one of our key issues. Allen Reinhard asked who would be here on the 13th. Dave Fredericks and D. Anne Atherton said yes. He will work up an agenda and share it with the committee. Dave Fredericks said that we should use visuals to portray accomplishments. Lee Saperstein said that he would help develop them. 3. Public Access over steps from Sconset Footpath across the bluff to the beach. The ` Sconset Bluff Footpath subcommittee had identified several sets of steps over the bluff that were licensed by the Town and ought to be open to the public. Allen Reinhard told the committee that, while he did not intent to take on this issue now, the Land Bank owns some property on the bluff and will improve its steps to the water. This land is north of North Gully Street and is in front of the Wade Cottages. Bert Ryder asked about Wanoma Way and the footpath that was supposed to exist at its end; Allen Reinhard said that a way has been opened there. 4. Granite Public Way monuments for Sconset, Surfside, and Brant Point. Allen Reinhard reported that five more monuments have been ordered for installation. Lee Saperstein asked about the status of the Hulbert Avenue laterals. Allen Reinhard thought that several of these had been taken; a fuller discussion is in the minutes of last month's meeting. 5. Viewing stand at East Creek Road. Money is available in State funds and also in a CPC grant for a viewing platform at the end of East Creek Road. Originally, the stand was proposed for the end of Spruce Street but access on that street is limited. Dave Fredericks asked if we have a plan for its construction. The answer was no. Lee Saperstein suggested that we move forward in developing such a plan and in obtaining the necessary permits. 6. Old, New or other business: North Mill Street update. This item was considered under "Public Comment." No one offered up any other items for this agenda item. 7. Adjourn. Adjournment came at 5:42 pm when the agenda was finished Next meeting: January 19, 2016, 4:00 p.m., 2 Fairgrounds Road. R &ROW Committee Outstanding Projects List: Projects Under Way: • Downtown Sidewalk Survey Project • In -Town Bike Path from Washington St. Eat. 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 • First Way Pedestrian/Bike Access and Road Improvement Safety Project • Sconset Footpath install Public Way Monuments Projects on hold, or in need of advancement: • Nantucket Central Railroad Trail Project • Nantucket Open Space Plan Update • Nantucket Greenway and Footpath System • East Creek Road viewing platform and CPC grant • Work with DPW on maintenance plan for public way monuments and trails 4 Oversight of maintenance on West Chester St. Ext. and Crooked Lane Harbor walk Completed projects needing implementation and follow up: • Chapter 91 Public Access License Enforcement: Harbor -Plan Implementation 5 Attachment Provided by Mike Burns, Transportation Planner. Suggested outline for Board of Selectmen Workshop on January 13, 2016 REQUESTED FROM BOS: - The location of any existing bike routes, how they are identified and what the pros & cons are; - The location of any future bike routes, when they are scheduled, how much they are estimated to cost (are they in a plan?); - Any other — feasible - options that could get bikes in & out of town more safely that could potentially be implemented for the summer of 2016, and what the pros and cons are Regional Transportation Plan — Downtown Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements; Past, Present, and Future I. Past (2005 — 2015) a. Downtown i. Bike route wayfinding stickers and paper maps ii. Test of bike route stencils iii. Survey and conceptual design of downtown sidewalk improvements iv. Study of bike parking opportunities and options (ReMain Nantucket) b. North of Town (Cliff Rd) i. Extension of the Cliff Rd bike path c. West of Town (Milk St / Pleasant St) i. Improved bike route and wayfinding signage ii. Resurfaced Madaket bike path iii. Construction of the Hummock Pond bike path iv. Initiate design of Prospect Hill Improvements 1. Prospect St sidewalk 2. Mill Hill Path 3. Milk St Extension Path 4. Winn St Improvements d. South of Town (Washington St / Orange St) i. Conceptual design of Mid -island sidewalk improvements ii. In -Town bike path 1. Study of conceptual design and alignment options 2. Design of phase 1 II. Present (on -going projects and FY 2017 Capital Requests) a. Downtown i. Development of smart phone wayfinding app (ReMain Nantucket) ii. Stencil the existing bike route iii. Pending approval for phase 1 of sidewalk improvements iv. Complete installation of bike bollards b. North of Town (Cliff Rd) i. Sidewalk improvements in future year of Capital Improvement Plan n c. West of Town (Milk St / Pleasant St) i. Extension of Hummock Pond bike path to be ready for summer 2016 ii. Mill Hill Path to be built as part of Woodland Hills subdivision iii. Prospect St sidewalk in future year of Capital Improvement Plan iv. Proposed "Historic Bike Route" (reviewed, needs BOS approval) d. South of Town (Washington St / Orange St) i. Phase 1 of In -town bike path has been bid for construction ii. Future phases of In -town bike path are in the Capital Improvement Plan iii. Proposed stenciling of bike route along one -way section of Orange St III. Future (FY 2018 — FY 2040) a. Downtown i. Maintain system of stenciled bike route corridors ii. Implement phase 1 of downtown sidewalk improvements iii. Define priority phases for future -year sidewalk improvements iv. Evaluate need for additional bike parking b. North of Town (Cliff Rd) i. Build sidewalk connections along Cliff Road ii. Evaluate on street parking conflicts with bike and pedestrian traffic c. West of Town (Milk St / Pleasant St) i. Implement Winn St improvement to connect Prospect Hill to Madaket ii. Implement Hummock Pond Path Extension to Vesper Ln d. South of Town (Washington St / Orange St) i. Implement future phases of In -town bike path ii. Implement Mid -island sidewalk improvements 7