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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-12-20Town and County of Nantucket ROADS AND RIGHT OF WAY COMMITTEE Meeting of 20 December 2016 Conference Room of 2 Fairgrounds Road FINAL AND APPROVED MINUTES W 1. Call to Order, Approval of the Agenda, Approval of Minutes, and Public Comments. o ,A Z �Z s ZG nC) t' A. Chair Allen Reinhard called the meeting to order at 3:01 pm. In attendance were Nelson ( Snookie) Eldridge, Leslie Forbes, Nat Lowell, Allen Reinhard, Lee Saperstein, and Stephen Welch (3:18 pm); there was a quorum at all times. Absent were Bert Ryder and John Stackpole. Guests: Mike Burns, Transportation Planner (3:21 pm) and Kara Buzanoski, Director, DPW (3:21 pm) The agenda as distributed was accepted. B. Public Comment. There was no public comment. C. Chair's Announcement. Dave Fredericks has resigned from the committee because of potential conflicts of interest due to his consultations with the Town on various roads and way projects. D. Minutes. The minutes of the meeting of November 15, 2016, were moved for approval by Nat Lowell, seconded by Snookie Eldridge, and approved unanimously. 2. Chapter 91 Public Access Update and Next Steps. w Lee Saperstein explained that there had been limited activity on this subject but that he had discovered that the Town received two General Chapter 91 Licenses in 2015. He has asked Jeff Carlson, Natural Resources Coordinator, for more information and Jeff Carlson replied that he would provide more information shortly. It transpired that, during the meeting, he had tried to telephone Lee Saperstein but was only able to leave a voicemail in which much was explained. This additional information will be presented at the next meeting of the Committee. Lee Saperstein also said that he has asked Jeff Carlson for contact information on Martha's Vineyard and is still looking forward to receiving this information. Nat asked if we knew of a local attorney who could provide us more information about these licenses. He then suggested Arthur Reade and Kevin Dale as possible resource people, while Eleanor Antonietti in PLUS was mentioned by Leslie Forbes. Nat Lowell recalled that a number of properties on Swains Wharf (Commercial Wharf) were covered by the same sort of general license and, if necessary, we could get a more detailed explanation of them. Lee Saperstein suggested that we might wish to involve Town Counsel before we reach out to private citizens. Leslie Forbes reminded the group that we had received a question from D. Anne Atherton about the status of a Chapter 91 License for the property northwest of Capaum Pond (3 East Tristram Avenue). Lee Saperstein reported that a search of the Nantucket Registry found Conservation Commission conditions that had been recorded for that property but not a Chapter 91 License. He also said that he had provided this information to D. Anne Atherton. 3. Downtown Sidewalk Repair Update. Allen Reinhard announced that he had attended a meeting in Town Building, yesterday, December 19th, with Town officials and a number of people interested in the state of our downtown sidewalks: Jason Bridges, Mike Burns, Kara Buzanoski, Bob DeCosta, Dave Fredericks, Libby Gibson, Angus MacVicar, Richard Moore, Melissa Murphy, Mickey Rowland, and Charley Walters. They will become an ad hoc oversight committee for the sidewalk reconstruction project. He was pleased to suggest that our committee's Sidewalk Survey had led to this comprehensive project. As he was reviewing the information that he had gleaned at this meeting, Director Buzanoski entered the room and was invited to continue the presentation. She told the committee that reconstruction of the downtown sidewalks will start soon with a detailed survey of the entire project and its individual parcels, each of which will be big enough to constitute a major construction contract. One and one -half million dollar has been budgeted for the coming year and it is expected that an additional one million per year will be budgeted in five or more of the following years. The survey information will go to a consultant designer who will lay out the details for each of the component parts of the project. Mike Burns has made a comprehensive spreadsheet of the areas to be surveyed. As she discussed the individual component projects, there was substantial interactive discussion with the committee members about concerns they held for access, ease of walking, parking, and paving materials. She said that she wants to start with the Broad Street "Strip," which, because it will have a draft design that can be used as a model for other projects, may make it into a larger and longer project. She noted that the Steamship Authority is talking with Todd Arno about purchase of the property at the corner of Easy Street and Steamboat Wharf but it is not going smoothly. It is probable that the fast project will be Main Street, southside, from Fair to Washington Streets. The goal is to be done by summer but this requires that all the elements align smoothly. Easy Street from Broad to Main Streets is equally important. Nat Lowell said that this is the single most important route for visitors. He would like to eliminate parking and widen the sidewalk substantially. Kara Buzanoski agreed that Easy Street is an opportunity for a tremendous viewing area of the Harbor. Pedestrian crossings in front of and to the side of the 2 Pacific Club are also important; they need to be constructed substantially enough to withstand loads coming from large trucks. Nat Lowell talked about improvements alongside the Nantucket Yacht Club to coincide with construction that they do for a worker dormitory. Kara Buzanoski said that work on Lower Main Street (actually, Straight Wharf) will follow the Harbor Place template but will be one of the later pieces. She said also that the overall objective is to make these key streets "pedestrian friendly." Allen Reinhard summarized by saying that the take -away conclusion from the meeting was that sidewalk work is underway and that the Town is very supportive of the project. Mike Burns put much of this discussion in context by reviewing the written, "Phase I Implementation Strategy, Draft," with its ten subsets: A -M. He described the strategy as a "play book." The next meeting of the ad hoc committee will be in late January with more detailed plans for each component coming from their designer. Discussion about the Broad Street strip led to further discussion of the concrete wall at the edge of the Steamship's truck parking area. Several people spoke of its utility as a seat for tourists and pedestrians, particularly if they were eating food purchased there. Stephen Welch suggested that the wall could be dressed up with a facing of stone and a natural looking cap. Kara Buzanoski said that she hoped that the area could be softened with plantings but that they would need to be tolerant of their exposed position and salt incursions from flooding. The handouts are attached to these minutes. 4. Potential Takings List. Allen Reinhard asked if any further action was needed on the Potential Takings List. It was agreed that there was nothing urgent on the horizon but we needed to maintain a watch. 5. BOS letter re: DPW Director. Allen Reinhard said that he was saddened to learn of Kara Buzanoski's impending retirement because she has been so helpful to the two committees that he chairs, this one and the Cemetery Commission. He offered the attached letter of commendation, which has been approved already by the Cemetery Commission, to thank her for her support of the mission of our committee. Leslie Forbes moved its adoption and Snookie Eldridge seconded the motion. It passed unanimously. 6. Old, New or other business. A. Access to Historic Coloured Cemetery and Founders Burial Ground. Allen Reinhard reminded the group that he would keep us informed of any changes in access to the historic cemeteries. With the moving of the Anderson and Foundation Buildings on the hospital campus, work on rearrangement of ways to the Historic Coloured Cemetery will be happening soon. North Mill Street has already been improved into Mill Hill Park and the un -named way leading 3 to the Cemetery is soon to be improved along with some widening for parking. This way is the other end of the existing way into the Cemetery. Work orders have been placed for moving signs and fixing the way. Founders Burial Ground has had some access issues on those ways that cross private land. An easement has been negotiated, from the un -named north -south way leading to the Anglers' Club land, to the cemetery because, otherwise, it was land locked. A longer -range project will be to improve the way on this easement to provide vehicular access to the Cemetery. Allen Reinhard said that he intends to get copy of the plat to show how this could happen. B. Special Municipal Employee. Allen Reinhard has consulted with Lauren Goldberg, the attorney who made the presentation on the Open Meeting Law, and she said initially said there was no need for this designation; when asked, she did say that she knew of nothing negative if the designation were to be approved. We will discuss this at our next meeting. 7. Adjourn. Adjournment was accepted unanimously at 4:13 pm. The next meeting is scheduled for January 17, 2017, 4:00 p.m., at 2 Fairgrounds Road. R &ROW Committee Outstanding Projects List: Projects Underway and need only oversight until completion • Downtown Sidewalk Survey Project • In Town Bike Path from Washington St. Ext. to Rotary • Boulevarde to Airport road takings, and reconstruction as Public Ways • Bike path linking Surfside, Hummock Pond & Madaket Bike paths via Mill Hill • First Way Pedestrian/Bike Access and Road Improvement Safety Project Projects in need of advancement, completion or encouragement • Installation of sidewalk from Prospect St. multi -use path to Upper Vestal Street • Sconset Footpath install Public Way Monuments • Chapter 91 Public Access License Enforcement: Harbors Plan Implementation • Nantucket Open Space Plan Update Long Term Projects and projects on hold • Nantucket Central Railroad Trail Project • 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 • Maintenance Plan for West Chester St. Ext. and Crooked Lane • Harbor Walk 4 Appendix A. Sidewalk Improvement Plan. Attached as a separate file. Appendix B. Letter of Commendation for Kara Buzanoski. Follows. Nantucket Cemetery Commission December 1, 2016 Nantucket Roads & ROW Committee Nantucket Board of Selectmen Libby Gibson, Town Manager 16 Broad Street Nantucket, MA 02554 I am writing at the request of the Cemetery Commission and the Roads & ROW Committee to express deep thanks for the work and professionalism DPW Director, Kara Buzanoski, has done to advance projects of both groups. Since being appointed Cemetery Administrator, Kara has been extremely helpful with the development of cemetery regulations, development of forms and procedures to assure accurate and permanent recording of burials within town cemeteries, and oversight of the various accounts the Commission maintains through MUNIS and the Finance Department. She has arranged for survey work and mapping at Newtown and Polpis Cemeteries and arranged for inurnments at Polpis and Newtown Cemeteries and at the Historic Coloured Cemetery as well as arranging and overseeing maintenance of the nine town - controlled cemeteries. Kara has helped develop work plans for the Commissions' Cemetery Improvement Plan to achieve short and long -term improvements at each of the nine cemeteries. Brush clearing, fence repairs and the placement of glacial erratics with each cemetery name to replace the painted plywood signs have been some of the short term improvements Kara has been instrumental in completing. Kara has also worked closely with the Roads & ROW Committee to advance a number of our long term projects including safety improvements at First Way that have greatly improved safe access to the schools. Kara has overseen the development, resource allocation and implementation of bicycle and pedestrian paths and in -town sidewalks and development of the long awaited taking and improvements to the roadways in Surfside linking the airport to Surfside Road. Kara worked closely with the Surfside Area Association to explain the project, timelines and plans which helped the Association and Town to obtain the voluntary necessary easements from area residents to facilitate the project. The Cemetery Commission and Roads & ROW Committee are grateful to Kara Buzanoski for her assistance and guidance with these projects and other accomplishments. The purpose of government is to provide services to the community from which its powers are derived. Kara's service to the town through her dedication and leadership in a very demanding position exemplifies town government at its best. Allen B. Reinhard, Chairman T